Fullmetal Kingdom: Disc 1
by Werewolf27
Summary: A State Alchemist is in need of protection, so the State hires a child trained for combat and protection to look after the alchemist no matter what. They will face dangerous obstacles, sinister enemies, and uncover secrets that could change the world...
1. Chapter 1

**The Kingdom Hearts and Fullmetal Alchemist franchises, put together in an epic tale of action, adventure, vengeance, friendship, and freedom! This is the story of how two heroes will change the world forever! (Think of this as Final Fantasy XVI, since the other one, that's XV, will come after a few years)**

**Warning: Kingdom Hearts and Fullmetal Alchemist are both licensed by Square-Enix. The secondary licenses for both franchises are Disney (Kingdom Hearts), Aniplex, Bones Inc., and Funimation (Fullmetal Alchemist). **

**PS: There will be spoilers.  
**

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Fullmetal Kingdom: The Fanfic

Chapter 1: Sora Begins

A train arrived at 11:17 AM, many passengers came out to visit and spend the seasons on pleasant eves and vacation. Only one passenger, a military soldier, was here on business.

The soldier passed through crowds of joyful families reuniting, sharing pleasant chatter about what was, and what news came their way. The soldier smiled, enjoying his walk past these happy folk, wishing that he had times like that to spend with his loved ones, but alas, he wasn't here to play, he was here to speak with someone. "Destiny Islands, a resort made by families, for families."

The soldier approached a large building, it appeared to be a daycare center, quite a noisy one in fact, he could hear children laughing and playing inside The soldier entered the building, and all around him, he could see countless children running through the hallways, and down the stairs. In front of the soldier was a man sitting behind a desk, that man greeted the soldier, "Maes Hughes?"

The soldier replied, "Yes sir, Maes Hughes, the one and only. I was the one sent by the colonel to search for a bodyguard." The man shook Hughes's hand, "The name's Cid, no last name, no need, just Cid, pleased to meet you. Welcome to the Orphanage" Cid stands up and opens a yellow door behind him, "Right this way Mr. Hughes."

As Hughes follows Cid, he notices a large window on the left side, there, he noticed children who, unlike the children from outside, fight each other, with wooden swords, poles, and even some who use their feet and fists. Cid stops and turns toward Hughes, "Strange isn't it? These kids have only each other to know and acknowledge, trained by many teachers young and old to survive on instinct and knowledge. Yes sir, your looking at the next assassins." Hughes looked through the window again, "Children? You train...children to be assassins?"

Cid shook his head, "Why are you saying it like that? They also make good bodyguards, speaking of which, you asked for one, right?" The two enter the next room, where many teenagers were sitting and meditating. Cid smiles "These are the kids I was telling you about. The kids who are most qualified as bodyguards."

Hughes was still unsure about the state using children as weapons, but he walked toward them to make a formal greeting, "Uh, h-hello there. I'm Lieutenant Colonel Maes Hughes. I was ordered by my superiors to find a bodyguard for one of our own, and, well, one of you have been given permission to come with me to Central." One of the teens stood up, "Who do we have to kill?"

Hughes was startled by what the teen said, "Uh, no one. We just need someone to protect one of our soldiers, that's all, no killing." The teen's stare went from cold, to calm afterwords, and then he sat back down. But then another teen came up, his hair was gray and his eyes were a bright aqua colored, "Sorry about that, some of us can be a little...scary. But did you just say that you were only looking for someone to protect one of your own?"

Hughes was surprised at first to hear one of the unusual teens speaking like a normal person, but he shook off that feeling and approached the silver haired youth, "Yes, that is all we need, uh..." The silver haired boy smiled and shook his hand, "I'm Riku, No. 307. It's a pleasure to meet you." Hughes smiled, "Nice to meet you to Riku. So, are you interested in the job?"

Riku replied, "No, I'm currently training." Cid interrupts, "Riku you don't need anymore training, your the best there is. You've even controlled your inner strength, your perfect for the job!" Riku shakes his head, "Sorry, not interested. But I know a beginner who could help you Mr. Hughes, if you'd like, I can take you to him."

Hughes was curious, "Well, sure. I'd love to meet him." Cid immediately realized who Riku was talking about and took Hughes's arm, "RIKU! Not him, he's terrible! He's one year younger than you, but his skills are as weak as the younger ones! I'm telling you sir, your best chance would be from one of these kids, even Riku here."

Riku crosses his arms, "Cid, for once, give him a chance. Mr. Hughes, I promise you, this one's the perfect companion." Hughes decides to follow Riku, leaving a ill tempered Cid standing with the other teens.

Riku and Hughes finally make it to a door with the number 516 on it. Hughes asks Riku, "Who's No. 516?" Riku replied, "Well, true he's close to my age, but he does tend to mess up sometimes. He failed at math, running, and even catching his target, a vase, a ball, anything, except...he never fails when it comes to protecting someone alive, he does whatever he can to help people, even those who are younger...and he's a true friend."

Riku opens the door, but to his, and Hughes's surprise, the room was empty. Hughes scratches his head in confusion but then noticed an open window. Riku covers his face in embarrassment, "(sigh) And, at times...he can be very mischievous." Cid rushes toward the room of No. 516, and notices only Riku and Hughes in the room. In anger, Cid yells out, "SOOOOOOOOORRRRAAAAAAAAAAA!"

"YES!" No. 516 yells as he kicked the soccer ball into the goal, the village kids cheered for No. 516 as he made a perfect score. One of the children approached No. 516, "Can you teach me to kick like that someday?" No. 516 patted the child's shoulder, "...Sure, someday I'll teach you but for now, who wants to see an Olympic classic?" The children cheered in acknowledgment, "Alright, LETS GO!"

Maes Hughes and Riku followed Cid as he ran for the beach, "That troublesome little snot! He's going to spoil everything we've worked so hard on!" Hughes tries to talk to Cid, "Well, doctor, he's still a kid, kids do kid things, they laugh, they play, that's how it's been since cave man Adam and cave woman Eve gave birth to the first cave kid."

Cid, Highes, and Riku finally make it to the beach, where Sora was racing three kids while the other children watched, "Go Sora! GO!" Hughes asked Riku, "Is Sora the one you were talking about?" Riku scratched his chin while watching the race, "Well..."

While racing, one of the racers were starting to catch up with No. 516, "You're going down!" No. 516 smiled and tried to catch up. Suddenly, a group of surfers were rushing toward the beach, the kid who was beating No. 516 accidentally bumped into them, Oh, sorry about that-." One of the surfers grabbed the kid, "You think I'm gonna buy that, brat?"

No. 516 rushes to the boy's side, "Hey, he just bumped into you. Leave the kid alone." Another surfer quickly punches him, knocking him down, while the other surfers were laughing, "Shut Up! This kid has no respect for people older than him, he needs to be taught a lesson!" No. 516 tried to stand back up, "He's just a kid! He doesn't need to be taught anything!"

The surfer kicks 516 back down, "I TOLD YOU TO SHUT UP!" 516 tried to get up again, "...Leave...alone!" He was kicked again, "SHUT UP!" but every time the surfer kicked 516 down, he stood back up, "SHUT UP! SHUT UP! SHUT UP!" Then the kid pushed the surfer away from 516, "Leave him alone you creeps!"

The surfers grabbed the kid, then the one who beat 516 approached the child, "Tell me, you like tattoos? Why don't we leave a mark on you? A big...red..." The surfer slowly pulled out a knife, "...VERY painful mark. Would you like that?" Suddenly, a hand grabbed the surfer's arm, squeezing it, "RAAAAAGHH, WHO'S DOIN-?" The surfer saw the very teen he beat up, start to stand up slowly while still keeping a grip on the surfer's arm.

"I thought there was a law against littering on the beach..." 516 then began to lift the surfer over his head, The surfer dropped his knife on the sand, 516 turned toward the ocean, "...Time to take out the trash." But before he could toss him into the ocean, Cid rushes toward 516, "No. 516 AKA Sora, what do you think your doing!" Sora then noticed Cid, "Dr. Cid! Uh, hey there." He then tosses the surfer away, to make himself look innocent.

Riku then smiles and turns toward Hughes, "...Yes, that is Sora." The child grabs the knife and points it toward the other surfers, "Get lost you freaks!" Sora then stops the kid and takes the knife away, "I can't let you do that! (sigh) How can I say this? People like them are the real losers when they take out a weapon in a fist fight. If you pull out something as dangerous as a knife towards someone innocent, who can't defend themselves, you'll regret it for the rest of your life...trust me."

The kid looks down, "But, you tried to help me, and they hurt you! Why not teach them a lesson? Why not give them what they deserve?" Sora replies, "Because no one should play by there rules, no mater how unfair it is! ...In time, they will understand, believe me. You were very brave when you apologized earlier, those guys were uglier than Cid." The boy laughed while Cid frowned, "You know, I'm right here, 'kiddo'!"

"Just keep that courage while growing up, and someday, you will beat me in that race, OK?" Sora said to the boy, the boy replied, "OK Sora, thanks, someday, I will out race you! I will!"

The sun was starting to set, and the children went home, but not before saying goodbye to Sora, "Always trying to be the hero, huh, Sora?" Sora noticed Riku behind him, "Oh hey Riku. What's going on?" Riku replies, "Nothing much, anyway, you did a good job scaring the pants off of that creep and his weasel friends. Next time though, keep it cool, you almost blew a gasket when the nearly hurt that kid."

"No one deserves to be treated like that Riku, I had to-!" Riku stopped Sora before he could continue, "I know, I know, you had to protect the kid, right? Hmph, honestly, that's probably the only quality your good at." Sora scratches his head, "I wanted to do the right thing. I didn't want to hurt anyone..." Cid stands in front of Sora, "Well that's what you were trained for you incompetent failure!"

Hughes steps forward, "Cid, I've made my decision." Cid expresses his joy, "REALLY? I knew you would! Now, if it's not Riku, then it was one of the others, right? I knew you would like Jerry, or was it Burton? Or maybe Creg? Or, uh, which child were you-?" Hughes points toward Sora, "That one!"

Cid was quite troubled, "Uh...what?" Riku smiles and pats Sora on the back, "Your finally going on a mission Sora. Wait till the guys hear about THIS!" Sora replies, "Yeah, cool..."

That night, Riku told the other children in the Orphanage about Sora and his acceptance in the military. All children and teens couldn't believe what they heard, some of them laughed, and some of them were impressed. Maes Hughes signed the paperwork to take Sora, while Sora spent his last night in the orphanage looking out of his window at the sky.

"There's going to be a meteor shower tonight." Riku said while opening Sora's door, Sora asked, "When?" Riku replied, "In a few seconds. By the way, you seem to be staring intently at the stars, what's up?" Sora turns toward Riku, "The kid with ESP in the noggin is asking me what's wrong, ironic." Riku was troubled to hear Sora say that about him, "Riku, what do you think happened to the last loser who went before me?"

"Your NOT a loser! How many times do I have to tell you? Do you have inhuman attributes? Yes you do. Do you have a specialty at defying gravity? Yes you do! Do you protect innocent people? HELL YEAH! So why are you so down? You can leave this place for good and never-!" Riku then realized why Sora was depressed.

Sora leaned on a wall, "That's right, I can't come home, I'm given a chance to live in the outside world with someone else. If I take this job, I lose all of you. Tidus, Loki, Tina, all of you. I can't see any of you outside unless you were all given a mission by the military. And what's worse, the top students of the Orphanage, including you, are dubbed 'too important' to give away! You'll be stuck here forever, while I grow up and in time..."

Riku stops Sora from continuing, "Sora, we'll see each other again. After all, I was the one who taught you how to escape, remember?" Sora felt unsure, "What about Cid?" Riku smiled and replied, "He can't keep me here forever Sora. You and me, were friends for life. No mater how many years roll past us, we'll always be friends, understand?"

Sora smiled and said, "I understand. Just to let you know that I'll come back, I want you to have this." Sora reaches into a drawer, "Ugh, I know it's here somewhere." Riku scratched his head, "Sora come on, were too old to be giving farewell presents to-." Sora finally pulled what he was looking for out of the drawer, it was a strange artifact, pieced together by random things, shaped like a star, "Sora...is that the charm you had when we first met?"

Sora smiled when he looked at it, "It's been with me for so long...this charm was the only thing I had with me before we met. And since you and I have had a strong friendship for a long time, I want you to have this." Sora gives his charm to Riku, who was truly touched by his friend's kindness and honesty, "Well, you'd better come back soon."

The morning came, and by sunrise, Hughes arrived to pick Sora up. The orphans said their goodbyes to Sora, wishing him good luck on his mission, and hoping that he will come visit them. Though Cid immediately reminded the children that Sora was forbidden to return, Sora told them to ignore Cid, and promised them that he will visit from time to time.

Riku meanwhile watched from the doorway, seeing Sora say goodbye to everyone. Riku looked at the charm Sora gave him and smiled, "Come back safely, pal."

After saying his last farewell, Sora was on his way to the train station with Hughes. As they walked toward the station, Hughes tried to make conversation, "So, now that your working with us, I might as well introduce myself. I'm Lieutenant Colonel Maes Hughes. It's a pleasure to meet you Sora." Sora shakes his hand, "Nice to meet you to. So, what did you hire me for?"

Hughes smiled, "We'll get to that later, for now, I have something to show you...(brings out a picture) this is my little daughter Elicia, isn't she a cutie?" Sora replied, "Uh, yeah, she's a cute little kid. So, what's my mission?"

Hughes continued to talk about his daughter, "I was thinking about getting her a big stuffed animal, what animal do you think little girls like? I was thinking about a hippo, then I thought about a giraffe, and then the thought of a duck, after that, a dog, after that, a mouse caught my eye, what do you think, huh? HUH?" Sora started to worry about his situation, "Why couldn't the state send someone a little less annoying?"

End of Chapter 1

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**The next chapter: Sora's mission is revealed. **

**Please comment.  
**


	2. Chapter 2

**Last time, Lieutenant Colonel Maes Hughes was sent by the State Military to look for a bodyguard for one of their soldiers. He was instructed to visit Dr. Cid inside his Orphanage to look for a young child who can get the job done. However, most of the children were lethal assassins, but one boy, No. 307, also named Riku, suggested a friend of his named No. 516 AKA Sora, a young 14 year old boy who wasn't much of a killer, but more of a defender, exactly what Hughes was looking for. The next day, Sora left with Hughes, saying goodbye to his fellow orphans. Now all Sora has to worry about is who he has to protect and why... **

**Warning: Kingdom Hearts and Fullmetal Alchemist are both licensed by Square-Enix. The secondary licenses for both franchises are Disney (Kingdom Hearts), Aniplex, Bones Inc., and Funimation (Fullmetal Alchemist). **

**PS: There will be spoilers.**

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Fullmetal Kingdom: The Fanfic

Chapter 2: A Trip to Lior

The Colonel was sitting behind his desk, reading through files, files about a few followers of a recent group of religious believers. But before the colonel could finish up, someone barged into his office, startling him, making him accidentally scatter the files. "Yo Roy! How's the search going buddy?"

The colonel recognized the voice and gave an irritated look at Lieutenant Colonel Maes Hughes, "Of all days to barge in, you couldn't just knock?" Hughes smiled, "Now is that anyway to greet your old pal?" Roy couldn't take Hughes's happy go-lucky attitude, but he quickly shook his irritation off and resumed his work.

Roy then asked, "So, who's going to look after the kid?" Hughes sat down on the nearest chair and spoke, "Funny isn't it? A kid, trained to look after another kid. And here I was hoping not to get any children involved."

The colonel drank his coffee and replied, "We needed an expert to locate an expert, there were too many deaths in this case involving Lior and the new prophet. Besides, he wanted to look into this personally. Did you know that this morning, the body of a soldier was found recently on our doorstep? The homeless were scared stiff, thinking that since the body wore clothing of a priest, it was a sign from God."

Hughes sighed, "Superstition has always lured in the religious nuts. More fear, more believers, makes for a perfect plan." Hughes stood up, "Well anyway, before we continue, I've brought one of the experts you requested. He's a rookie, but he can get the job done!" Hughes turns around, "OK Sora, come on in!"

Sora came through the door, Roy saw his share of child assassins, but this one seemed different, almost normal. Sora gave a salute to the colonel, "SIR! I am No. 516, Beginner Level 7, SIR!" Roy smiled, usually, a normal assassin wouldn't announce himself like he was a soldier, he would be emotionless and quiet, but he didn't tell him.

Roy stands from his chair and stood in front of Sora, "Is this your fist mission?" Sora was startled by this, but he still answered, "Uh, well, yes." Roy shook Sora's hand, "Glad to have you on the team Sora. I am Colonel Roy Mustang, the Flame Alchemist." Sora released Mustang's hand, then noticed his hand was seemingly wet. He took a whiff of his hand, "Your glove, it's Ignition Cloth, right?"

Mustang grinned and looked at Hughes, "Impressive, he was able to tell what my glove was made of." Sora then noticed the files on the floor, "You dropped these, right? I'll help you out." Sora proceeded in taking each file on the floor and organizing them alphabetically.

After a few seconds, Sora was finished organizing the files, he then noticed the photo of an old man dressed as a father from a church, "Sir, your target is a man of the church?" Mustang took the files, "No, not MY target..."

Elsewhere, a young state alchemist in a red coat just arrived in a desert city, walking through the street. Following him was a tall armored young man, he turned toward the alchemist, "Ed, you don't look so good." Ed replied, "Al, when your walking through a desert with an empty stomach, you tend to get hungry. Just let me know when you found a restaurant."

Meanwhile, Sora was on the train, heading for Lior, the Desert City. As he looked out at the blue sky, he remembered his conversation with the Colonel...

"No, not MY target...your objective's target. His name is Edward Elric, he's usually seen traveling with a tall guy in armor, but don't let his appearance fool you, that's actually Ed's younger brother, Alphonse Elric. Ed has just went to investigate his target, a self-proclaimed prophet named Cornello, who is believed to have been responsible for the deaths of 6 soldiers. I need you to look out for him, just in case he gets in too deep, understand?"

After the flashback, Sora saw a desert through the window, "Alright! I'm almost at the train station. After I get off, I'll have to find a cab driver to get me all the way to Lior."

A few minutes later, Sora was at the station, where a cab driver was waving a sign with Sora's number on it. Sora rushes to the driver, "Your number 516, right?" Sora answered, "Yes sir, but how did you know I'd be-?" The driver interrupted with an answer, "2nd Lieutenant Heymans Breda, nice to meet you Sora! The colonel sent me to drive you through the desert." Sora was a bit surprised, as he scratched his head, Breda starts the cab, "I know what your thinking, Mustang's a quick planner right? Don't worry, that's just how he is!"

While Breda drove the cab, Sora sat in the back, looking out at the desert, "So...this is a desert? I never imagined anything so...desolate." Breda couldn't help but ask, "Is this your first time on a mission?" Sora scratched his head, "Yes, it is. Usually, the lower classed kids train until they can successfully kill their target."

Breda asked, "So what class were you in?" Sora replied, "Me? I'm a lower class." Breda chuckled, "Oh, I get it! Your a loser." Sora frowned, "Hey, shut up! It's not like I wanted this!" Breda replied, "I'm just kidding kid, don't be so uptight." Breda then noticed Lior in front of him, "Strap on your slippers, Cinderella, we're here."

Inside Lior, Edward was enjoying an Orange Elixir while Alphonse was reading the newspaper, the article was called, 'Murder in Lior Sewers, a message from Leto?' Then the two hear all the radios in town playing a broadcast spoken by an old man, "Children of God, pray that in faith you will be saved..."

Al asked the restaurant owner, "Excuse me, who is this?" The owner replied, "That's Sir Cornello, Prophet of the Sun God." Ed looked confused, "Eh, never heard of him." The owner was surprised, "Your joking? You mean to tell me you've never heard of the great Father Cornello?" Ed replied, "Is he some kind of famous person?"

One of the customers answered, "Father Cornello was the one who turned this wasteland into a desert paradise." Another customer spoke, "He can even forgive sins. Thanks to him, we're on the Sun God's good side."

Near the entrance, Sora walked into the desert city, looking for his target, "From what I've heard, this state alchemist is supposed to be some big shot with blond hair, a pony tail, a red coat, and a large sidekick in armor. I think that's about right." As Sora was walking down the street, he noticed everyone listening to a broadcast, "As sun lights the day, so does the Sun God Leto illuminate thy path..."

Sora was confused, "Sun...God? Leto? What the heck is this guy talking about?" While Sora was walking, he noticed everyone looking at him and waving, Sora was a bit surprised by all the friendly folk, so he waved back at them. Suddenly, he hears a disturbance from a nearby restaurant, "AHHH, My radio! Aw, look what you've done you tin headed twip! What do you expect wearing that suit of armor?"

Ed tries to calm the owner, "Don't worry gramps, we can handle it." Al starts to gather all the pieces of the broken radio and draws a strange pattern on the ground, the owner asked, "That drawing, what's it for?" Ed smiled, "Actually it's not a simple drawing, it's called a Transmutation Circle. This is what Alchemists make before performing Alchemy." Sora walks through the crowd to see what was going on, then, just like that, a large force of light appears before him, as well as electricity.

When it stopped, the owner's radio was fixed, "How is this possible? Your buddy can work miracles like Cornello." Al corrected the owner, "It's not a miracle, it's science. You see, we're alchemists." "That's right, we're the Elric Bros., not to brag or anything but we're quite well known."

Then, a mysterious woman spoke, "Especially that one, he's the Fullmetal Alchemist. A real child prodigy, he's quite famous at East City." This information amazed the citizens, so they come up to the one they thought was the Fullmetal Alchemist, Alphonse.

"So your the Fullmetal Alchemist, huh?"

"I could see why with all that armor."

"Hey, could you come to my daughter's birthday party?"

Al felt a bit embarrassed, so he told them the truth, "Uh, you got it all wrong. He's the Fullmetal Alchemist, not me."

"Wait, you mean that short kid over there?"

Ed snaps, "WHAT'S THIS SHORTY STUFF? WHAT DO I LOOK LIKE, HALF PINT? A BEAN SPROUT MIDGIT? I'M STILL GROWNING YOU BACK-WATER IDIOTS!" Sora was shocked to know that his objective was such an angry little man, a 15 year old at that. But a mission is still a mission, so he walked toward Ed and tried to greet him, "Uh, hey, Mr. Edward Elric? I've, well..."

Ed turned towards Sora with a vicious look on his face, "WHADDYAWANT!" Sora salutes Edward, "Mr. Elric, my name is No. 516. I've been sent by your superiors from Central to protect you." Ed and Al were confused, "So...your here to protect me?" Sora shakes Ed's hand, "Yes sir, it's an honor to meet you." Ed takes his hand back, "Right...well, I'd hate to send you back to Neverland pal, but I don't fly with crazy stories like that."

Sora was startled, "No seriously, I'm here to protect you. You see, I was taken from my home at the Orphanage, where we all were trained to find our target, there are assassins, bodyguards, the works. Then a soldier came and hired me for the job of protecting you, and so, here I am." Ed breaks out in laughter, "HAHAHAHA, that's a good one. And let me guess, your also the sole survivor of Krypton and you've come to save the world, right? Hah, your heroic."

"But it's the truth, I swear!" Ed turns toward Al, "OK Al, lets make tracks." Al nods his head, "Alright, but brother...this, uh, 516 person seems to really want to help you. What if he's telling the truth?" Ed replied, "Come on Al, this happened 4 times now remember? A girl scout, a fat guy, a lawer, even a little boy named Ian McKellen, and I told him the same thing I told the others, 'it ain't gonna happen'."

"But, I'm telling the truth!" As Sora tried to explain, Ed was walking away, "Sure you are, spiky." Al bows to Sora, "Please understand, my brother isn't a bad person, he's just a little hotheaded." Ed calls out, "Al, come on! We've got work to do!" Al rushes toward him, "Coming brother!"

Suddenly, Al stops and turns around, looking at Sora, "By the way, what's your name? Just in case we meet again." Sora was confused, "...It's Sora." "It's nice to meet you Sora. Well, I'd better get going before brother gets mad again, see you later!" Al said as he rushes to Ed's side.

Sora feels his hair, "Spiky? It's not that spiky, the little prick." Sora thought to himself, "I've been hired to protect someone who doesn't believe me, and doesn't want my help. Maybe I should go since he doesn't need me."

But just as Sora was about to leave, he noticed a moving shadow with no connection to any human form. It's movements were erratic, as if it was lost, then the shadow rushes toward the direction where the Elric Brothers went, "W-what was that? A living shadow? It's heading for the Elrics, but why? I should go and see if they need my help but..." Sora struggles with whether or not he should go help them, then Sora shakes his head, "Snap out of it! Your here to help, so go help!"

Sora rushes toward the direction the Elrics went, but as he ran, he couldn't see any trace of the moving shadow, "I know your here, where are you...?" Sora was suddenly stopped by 3 men, dressed in church clothes, "Uh, sorry for that. I guess I should look where I'm going." The men were silent, Sora decides to go around them, "Well, see you later-." Sora was suddenly pushed down to the ground, "Hey, what's wrong with you guys?"

The leader of the men came in front and spoke, "So, your the bodyguard that the state sent to protect the state alchemist, Edward Elric." Sora stands up, "OK, so you guys have good hearing, so why should it matter?" The leader explained, "It matters because you were sent from the state, boy." Sora tried to explain, "OK, clearly you have something against the state. But you don't have to worry, I'm just here to look after Ed, to make sure he doesn't get into trouble." The leader responds, "The trouble already started the minute your friend came in to town. And it is our divine duty to send you and all the state's pawns into the afterlife...RIGHT HERE AND NOW!"

The 3 men take out their weapons, one had a long spear, the second had a sword, and the other held an ax in his hands. Sora stepped back and drew a dagger, "I didn't want to use this..." Sora prepared a battle stance, "Since when do church fanatics murder innocent people?" The leader replied, "You are mistaken, the state has no innocence, only savages." Sora shook his head, "These guys aren't playing around...I can't talk out of this, so I'll have to fight."

The man with the spear charged at Sora, but Sora slices the metal tip of the spear off. While the spear wielder was looking at what was left of his spear, Sora kicks him toward a wall, knocking him out. Then the man with the ax attempts to slice Sora in half, but Sora succeeded in dodging every attack, then he catches the ax and takes it from the ax wielder, he throws it across the sky then punches the man in the gut.

The leader was next, he used his sword to attack, but Sora was quick to defend himself with his dagger, as Sora tried to push the sword away, the leader tells him, "For a sinful puppet of the state, your not half bad." Sora replied, "Do you see any strings? I'm NOT a puppet, I'm not even Pinocchio!"

Sora finally managed to push the leader away, and kick his sword out of his hand. Sora then points his dagger toward the leader's neck, "Alright, now we can talk like civilized people, right? So tell me, who gave you the order to kill me?" The leader told him, "It was God's will and divine order that you and all pawns of the state were to be executed!" Sora replies, "Wow, your God sure is mean."

The leader calls out, "Men, he is a hieratic! It is the Sun God's order that we rid our selves of him!" As soon as the leader finished, many more of Leto's followers arrived with rifles and guns. Sora stepped back as he was surrounded by gunmen, the leader steps forward, "Such is the divine choice of Leto...KILL HIM!"

End of Chapter 2

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**The next chapter: Two Genomes arrive in search of a friend.**

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**


	3. Chapter 3

**Last time, Lieutenant Colonel Maes Hughes took his new adopted assassin Sora to Colonel Roy Mustang, who needed Sora's help in protecting Edward Elric, the Fullmetal Alchemist. Sora was given a ride to Ed's current location, the Desert City of Lior. When Sora finally made it, he tried to convince Edward that he was there to help, but Ed thought Sora was just another fan, so he walks away. However, his younger brother, Alphonse Elric, was kind enough to ask for Sora's name in case they met again. Tragic thing is...they left at a bad time, as Sora saw a black creature and tried to stop it from reaching the Elrics, but then, Sora found himself confronted by church officials who want nothing more than for him and the Elrics die a miserable death...**

**Warning: Kingdom Hearts and Fullmetal Alchemist are both licensed by Square-Enix. The secondary licenses for both franchises are Disney (Kingdom Hearts), Aniplex, Bones Inc., and Funimation (Fullmetal Alchemist). **

**PS: There will be spoilers.**

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Fullmetal Kingdom: The Fanfic

Chapter 3: Genome's Journey

_Chimera: An alchemical fusion between two or more beings. While the vast majority of chimera seen in Ametris are a cross between two animals, some are humans that have been crossed with an animal._

_Unbeknown to mankind, a large number of Chimeras called Genomes have lived separately from Humanity in secrecy. The Genomes are basically animals with human-like capabilities, as well as humans with animal parts fuzed into them. They have lived in the outer continent of Fantasia for many years and have never left their home, however, they were given permission to as long as it was an emergency, or if it was an act of exile._

A few days ago, in the country of Disney, a mallard named Donald went to greet the president, "Good morning sir, it's nice to see you this mo-. WHAT?" Donald searched the entire office for the president, but he was nowhere to be found. The president's dog, Pluto, walked in with a note in his mouth. Donald took the note and read it.

Outside the garden, was a Genome dog named Goofy, who was enjoying the peace and relaxation given to him at the hour. Suddenly, Donald raced toward him, "WAKE UP GOOFY! WAKE UP! This is serious!" Goofy however, was fast asleep, not even Donald's loud quaking could wake him. So Donald clapped his hands and summoned a bolt of lightning to wake Goofy up.

Goofy stood up, scratching his head. He looked around and noticed Donald standing next to him, "Hey there Donald, G'mornin." Donald corrects him, "It's the afternoon you BIG PALOOKA! Aww, forget it, we have a problem to deal with. But this is secret so don't tell anyone." Goofy asked, "Uh, what about the president's wife?" Donald replied, "Not even Minnie!" Goofy asked, "Uh...the vice president?" Donald's eyes widened, "DEAR GOD NOOOOOOO! This is top secret, understand?"

"And what's so secret Donald?"

Donald turned around slowly and saw Minnie and to his dismay, Vice President Daisy Duck. Goofy waved, "G'mornin ladies. Sure is a sunny day, huh?" Minnie replied, "Very peaceful indeed Goofy. Now, what was Donald telling you?" Goofy answered, "I dunno, he was 'bout to tell me a secret." Daisy walks in front of Donald, "Well Donald, what's this secret?" Donald looked away, "Uh, nothing..." Daisy took a guess, "Donald...where's the president?" Donald froze, he knew that Daisy had him licked, so he tells her, "T-the president gave me this letter..."

_Donald,_

_Sorry to rush without sayin' goodbye, but there's trouble brewin'. Not sure why, but I've recently noticed that a few of our friends have started to disappear, one by one. In fact, ever since Pete made his escape from jail, cooky things have started to happen, which means disaster can't be far behind. I hate to leave you all, but I've gotta go check into it. _

_I've also taken the key with me, something tells me that now was the time to seek out the true air. The true key to our survival waits on Ametris, where I intend to find him and help him understand his destiny. Without the air to the key, then we're all doomed!_

_Please don't worry about me, I'll be back before you know it._

_PS: Would ya apologize to Minnie for me?_

_Thanks pal._

_Mickey_

Inside the library, after reading the president's letter, Donald folded the letter and turned toward Minnie, "Minnie, sorry that you're husband is no longer the president." Minnie snaps at Donald, "CAN IT DONALD!" Donald was shocked by Minnie's angry side, so he crawled away in fear.

Daisy spoke, "The key was a gift to us from the alchemist who freed us. We treasured it for what seemed like a lifetime, ever since the last keybearers disappeared, there hasn't been a worthy wielder, not even one of our own kind could wield it. And now, madness has possessed the president into thinking that the true air has finally arrived. I can tell this is going to get ugly."

Minnie looks down sadly, "No choice, we'll just have to trust the king." Goofy starts to wonder, "Gwarsh, I hope he's alright. Who knows what the humans will do to him when they see him?" Minnie starts shedding tears, Goofy apologizes, "Awww, I'm sorry Minnie. I forgot how rough, tough an' brave you're husband is. We'll see him again, I know we will!" Daisy nodded her head, "Goofy's right, Mickey isn't the type to loose easily. He will be back." Minnie smiled and wiped her tears away, "Thank you both. You're right, he'll return."

Then Donald spoke, "Sooner then you think mam. We can't have our president running off alone without any protection from his friends!" Goofy salutes Donald, "Wow, you sure are a brave duck Donald, may God be with you on you're journey to Ametris!" But then everyone looks at Goofy, Donald grabs him, "YOU'RE COMING TOO, YOU DUFUS!"

"Hold on there boys, aren't you forgetting someone?"

Donald recognized the voice, but he couldn't see where it was coming from. Then, the voice called out again, "Over here!" Donald then noticed a bug in a suit talking to him, "Eeew, I hate bugs!" Donald grabs a newspaper and tries to squish the bug, "My name is-, wait, what the hell are you-? GAAAA!"

The talking bug ran while Donald was in pursuit, "Get back here ya little booger!" Minnie stops Donald, "Donald, you don't understand! He's a famous chronicler and a friend of the president!" Donald stopped before he could successfully strike the bug, "Oh...uh...here's your leg." The bug reattaches his leg and is picked up by Goofy, "Hey there little guy, so you know Mickey?"

The bug smiled and nods his head in response, "It was a long time ago...but I won't go into detail. Any who, Cricket's the name, Jiminy Cricket at you're service." Goofy brings out his finger in order to shake Jiminy's tiny hand, "Nice to meet you Mr. Cricket, I'm Goofy, and this is Donald, the Element Master." Jiminy looked at Donald, "That fiend is a Element Master?"

Donald's eyes widened as he became furious, "FIEND! That's it, this bug's gonna-!" Daisy grabbed his shoulder, "Donald, you'll need him to keep track of what you're doing, understand?" Donald sighs and turns toward Daisy, "Yes mam, but what if he-?" Daisy squeezes his shoulder, "BEHAIVE LITTLE MAN!" Donald nods his head, "Y-y-yes mam!"

Minnie bows to Donald and Goofy, "We hope for you're safe return. Please, help my husband."

That night, Donald and Goofy were selecting a ship to take them to Ametris. Meanwhile, Goofy spoke with Jiminy, who was sitting on his hat, "Gwarsh Jiminy, you're looking for someone too?"

Jiminy explained, "Yes, his name was Pinocchio, he can be quite a troublemaker, but he is actually a good boy. One day, I found Pinocchio caught in a dangerous situation, so I got him back home, but when we returned...his father, Geppetto, was already gone. He went out searching for his son out at sea, but was never seen after. So Pinocchio decided to go and look for his father, with me tagging along of coarse. But then, a storm raged and we were scattered. I came back here, but Pinocchio was nowhere to be found...as far as I can tell, I'm the only survivor."

Goofy tried to cheer Jiminy up, "Now don't you worry Jiminy, I'm sure that little boy is alright! Maybe he washed up at the beach in Ametris. Yep, I just know he made it!" Jiminy smiled, "Thank you Goofy, and I'll do what I can to help you two out, even if one of you is a cynical duck that tried to kill me." Donald just looked away, forcing a smile, "Glad to have you with us (You little troll)." Jiminy asked, "What was that?" Donald shook his head, "Uh, nothing, nothing at all!"

Donald stops suddenly and looks at a ship, "...we'll take this one." Goofy asked, "Uh Donald, why do you want to use this ship?" Donald looked at Goofy, "It was the president's favorite ship, he used it for exploration, trading, and fishing! It was named Kingdom, after his royal bloodline..." Donald pats the ship, "It's the perfect ship for saving the son of a king."

The next morning, Donald, Goofy, and Jiminy boarded the Kingdom. They had extra gear, new outfits to help them blend in, and a large supply of food. Donald takes a heavy briefcase on board and is currently having trouble bringing it on. A large crowd was their to see the three go off into Ametris, along with them was Minnie and Daisy.

Before Goofy could get on, Minnie and Daisy wanted to speak with him and Jiminy while Donald was trying to get the rest of their stuff in. Minnie gives something to Goofy, "Please give this to Mickey when you find him." In Goofy's hand, was a precious crystal, shaped like a star, except one of the edges was missing, "Gwarsh, it's Mickey's Star Shard! Minnie, I can't take this." Minnie begged, "Please Goofy, it's Mickey's only hope of coming back, it's the proof that he is our president. Without it..."

Goofy puts the Star Shard into his pocket, "Don't worry mam, we'll bring Mickey back in a jiffy." Jiminy bows to Minnie, "Leave everything to us, madam." Daisy then steps in, "Before the three of you leave, you'll have to take the mechanics with you." Goofy and Jiminy asked, What mechanics?"

While Donald was finished putting their things in the lower deck, he heard a high pitched voice, "Hey don't forget the nuts." Donald takes a bag of nuts and puts it in the deck, then another high pitched voice spoke to him, "That all? C'mon, send some juice our way." Donald passes the juice to the deck...

"WHAAAA?"

Donald digs his way through all the stuff he through into the deck, and to his surprise, there were two chipmunks eating nuts while drinking juice. "Ahhh, a rodent problem eh? I'll take care of THAT!" Donald pounces but misses the chipmunks, as the chipmunks ran, Donald was in hot pursuit.

"CHIP 'N' DALE? You mean, THE Chip 'n' Dale? How did you get them?" Jiminy asked, Daisy replied, "They volunteered. And how could I say no to those cute little things?" Goofy interrupted, "Yes, they are good mechanics but, why do we need them?" Daisy answered, "Because unlike Donald, they know how to pilot a boat. Heck, they can even drive a car if you wanted them to."

Goofy asked, "So when are they gonna be here?" Minnie replied, "Well, they were actually supposed to be here before you, but I can't see them anywhere. Maybe Donald saw them."

"I'LL SKIN YOU ALIVE YOU LITTLE RATS!"

And to their surprise, Donald is seen chasing two little chipmunks off the ship. Daisy takes the chipmunks and protects them, Donald asked, "Daisy? Why are you defending those things? They could be contaminated with germs or something. Feed them to a cat and save yourself!" Daisy looked at him like he was crazy, "Donald! These are the mechanics that Minnie asked to come with you!"

"Mechanics?" Donald looked at the two chipmunks in Daisy's arms, and the black nosed chipmunk pulled a card out of his coat pocket, "That's right, mechanics. We build, we sail, and we entertain! I'm Chip." The red nosed chipmunk spoke next, "And I'm Dale. The president's wife wanted us to use our brains, skills, and talents to help you two."

Goofy shook their hands, "Chip 'n' Dale, you're cars and ships were brilliantly made! Ahyuk! I'm you're biggest fan!" Dale turns toward Chip, "Do mechanics really have fans?" Chip answered, "Any big shot has a few fans or more you dummy!" Chip bops Dales on the head then salutes Goofy and Donald, "We'll do whatever we can to help you guys find the president! Count on it!"

"Uh, 1, 2, 3-."

"WE DON'T NEED TO COUNT ON THAT GOOFY!"

As the Kingdom set sail, Minnie, Daisy, and all the townspeople waved goodbye to Donald, Goofy, Jiminy, Chip 'n' Dale as they set sail for Ametris. Daisy smiles and yells, "When you get back Donald, take me out on a date!" Donald waves back, "We'll be back Daisy! I love you!" Daisy replied, "I LOVE YOU TOO, DONALD!"

Minnie waved at Goofy, "Please Goofy, help the president!" Goofy salutes, "Yes mam!" As he did, Jiminy came on Goofy's shoulder, and the two chipmunks came out of Goofy's hat, the three salute as well. As the Kingdom went farther away, Minnie said to them, "...Thank you, both of you."

A few days later (currently) in Lior, Sora was outnumbered by Cornello's followers, who were just ordered to kill him. The leader spoke, "Though you will die a quick death, know that you're protectees the Elrics will join you later on." Sora dropped his dagger and lifted his hands up, he knew that he couldn't win against a barrage of bullets, so he closed his eyes and waited for what seemed to be certain death...

"What are you doing?"

The gunmen turned their heads and saw someone, Sora then slowly opened his eyes, and in his sight, he saw a dark skinned girl with beautiful violet eyes, dark brown hair, and pink bangs, The leader started to worry, "Ugh, what a time to run into Rose."

Rose walked toward them and said, "How could you gang up on him? He's just a boy, have you all turned into a mob just to attack an innocent child?" Sora was a bit insulted, "Boy? Child? Lady, we're about the same age-!" The leader interupted, "Rose this isn't what you think, he's-." then Rose said, "Repent, before Leto punishes you for your sins!"

Sora was amazed at how brave Rose was, but she was still only just one person, "Please mam, stay away. These men are heavily armed, they could hurt you!" The leader turned toward Sora, "Nonsense! Rose is a friend of the church and it's prophet! We would never harm her." The leader calls the men off, as they walk away, the leader looks at Sora, "Bad timing boy. We'll let you and the other state blackguards go...for now." Then the leader walks away.

Rose tried to stop them, "W-wait! Where are you going? We're not through here! Don't you have even one word of apology to this gentleman? Wait I said!" Sora came up to Rose, "Uh, it's OK, really. I'm alright, thank you mam." Sora looked at the cultists that were walking away and then scratched his head, "Somehow, I don't think that'll be the end of it."

End of Chapter 3

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**The next chapter: Sora befriends another orphan.**

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	4. Chapter 4

**Last time: In a hidden, faraway continent called Fantasia, in the country of Disney, the leader of the chimera like people called Genomes, President Mickey, set off into Ametris, the continent that belonged to their creators, the humans, in search of the chosen one who will wield the "key". Worried that their friend might be in danger, Donald and Goofy set out in the "Kingdom" to try and find him and bring him home.**

**Meanwhile, back in Lior, Sora was about to meet his fate when suddenly a kind girl named Rose stopped the followers of Leto from shooting him. The followers left, but Sora had his suspicions about why they would leave someone like him alive...**

**Warning: Kingdom Hearts and Fullmetal Alchemist are both licensed by Square-Enix. The secondary licenses for both franchises are Disney (Kingdom Hearts), Aniplex, Bones Inc., and Funimation (Fullmetal Alchemist). **

**PS: There will be spoilers.**

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Fullmetal Kingdom: The Fanfic

Chapter 4: Prophet of Leto

Sora took a moment to think to himself, _These cultists don't fool around with their prey, so why did the appearance of that girl disturb them? A friend of the prophet? Her? Something doesn't ad up, and when there's something mysterious about a fleeing predator, then there's something mysterious about the one that the predator is fleeing from. She might be the prophet's second in command...so without a doubt, the deaths of those soldiers and that priest..._"They're connected."

Rose taps Sora's shoulder, "Excuse me, are you sure you're OK?" Sora turns around, "Y-Yeah, I was just a bit startled by their appearance, that's all." Sora proceeds into picking his dagger up, "Good, not a single bit of blood." Rose asks, "Um, why do you have a dagger?" Sora looks at her and says, "It's a trademark weapon for an ass-! Uh...bodyguard to have."

Rose smiled and clapped her hands, "So-so that means you're a protector? You must be a very brave hero." Sora felt a little shy, "Hero? Uh, I don't know about that, and as for brave, to be honest I was just trying to avoid a fight." Rose shook her head, "Don't sell yourself short like that, I can tell, you're a nice person." Sora chuckles, "I don't know, sometimes a person can be misleading."

Rose laughs, "You are so adorable! You must meet Father Cornello." Sora asked, "Father Cornello...you mean Sir Cornello, the prophet, right?" Rose replied, "Mm hmm, the very same person. He's quite a gentleman, his promises, his smile, and his miracles, truly it's Gods work for sure." Sora rubbed his head, "I-I don't know, sounds too good to be true."

Rose takes his hand, "Please come along! I assure you, Father Cornello is a great man!" Sora started to blush, a pretty girl was touching him, holding his hand, _Her hand feels...so..._, Sora snapped out of it, "O-OK, I guess I could meet him." Rose smiled, "That's wonderful, by the way, I'm Rose." Sora shakes her hand, "Sora, it's nice to make you're acquaintance Rose." And so the two walk toward the Temple of Leto, and as Sora looked on, he can't help but feel like he forgot something important... "Nah, probably nothing."

Meanwhile, from the top of a building, a small hooded person was watching Sora walking with Rose, the hooded person smiled, "I found you...but what can I do now?" The hooded person looked up into the sky, "If I don't do anything soon, Fantasia and even Ametris will suffer!"

Then the hooded one, sat back down, "If I reveal myself to the boy, I'll be caught and taken to Central for exposing my existence, then they'll ask where I came from..." So the hooded one stood up and decided to follow his target, "Nothing to do now but follow him until 'it' attacks."

The Elrics were standing before the temple with anxious hearts, Edward folded his arms, "So...this is the Temple of Leto." Alphonse looks at Ed, "Brother, don't start anything. Remember, we're only here to-."

"HEY GUYS!"

Ed and Al turned around and saw Sora along with Rose, Ed looked a bit disturbed, "Oh...it's the fan boy." Al waved, "Hi, Sora. What are you doing here?" Sora explained, "I'm here because of my assignment. Didn't I say that earlier?" Ed sarcastically said, "Yes you did 'Spiky', that's why you're traveling with a chick isn't it? Because of you're 'assignment." Rose walks up to Ed, "We just met you insensitive jerk!" Sora calms Rose down, "It's OK Rose, he's...a friend of mine named Edward, and this is his younger brother Alphonse."

Rose felt confused, "Younger brother? But shouldn't it be the other way around?" Ed became upset, "W-WHAT DID YOU SAY?" Sora stops Ed, "Cut it out, alright? Guys, just tell me, did you run into a mob of Leto worshipers?" Ed replied, "Yeah, funny way of putting out a welcome wagon. All they were giving out were free trips to the Hospital!"

Al explained, "They did look like followers of Leto...and they did ask if Ed was a State Alchemist. You don't think that could be the reason they ganged up on us, do you?" Sora nods his head, "I do! The cultists were after you guys BECAUSE Ed was working for the State, they even attacked me when they heard why I was here. There were three at first, but then there were 20 more of them with guns. But Rose here came and saved me."

Ed laughs, "HA, some bodyguard!" Sora finally replied to Ed's insult, "That coming from a selfish 'little' troll like you? HA, no wonder Mustang sent me to help you, you make enemies all the time buy insulting them!" Ed was ticked off again, "WHO'RE YOU CALLING A TROLL YOU THORNBUSH?" Sora replied, "YOU OF COARSE! WHO ELSE WOULD I BE MOCKING YOU BUG-EYED FLEA?" As the two gave hate-filled looks at each other, Al stepped in, "Stop it, both of you! Were on the same side, aren't we?"

Sora and Ed turn away, "FINE!" But then Ed remembered something, "Wait, you said Mustang right?" Sora replied, "Yeah, what about it?" Ed asked, "You know Roy Mustang?" Sora answered, "Yeah, the Flame Alchemist, Colonel Roy Mustang. He wanted me to look after you so that you don't end up like the previous soldiers that came here."

Rose then asked, "What soldiers?" Sora kept his silence, "Uh, nothing..." Ed then asks Rose, "So Rose, what do those followers have against State Alchemists? Is it in the teachings of Leto to pick fights with strangers?" Rose was a bit disturbed, "No, t-that can't be!" "Believe it sister. 'SO IS THE WILL OF LETO' they said. That's one easily riled God you worship, huh?

Rose shook her hands, "That's impossible! Our prophet couldn't possibly allow that!" Ed replied, "Whatever you say lady, for all I know, they might have been ordered to do us in by you're so called prophet." Rose retaliated, "Please, stop with this nonsense! Father Cornello taught us so much about God's ways, violence was NOT in Leto's teachings!"

Suddenly, Sora noticed the shadow he was following earlier, it was coming for Rose, "LOOK OUT!" Sora pushes Rose out of the Shadow's way, the shadow then starts to grow and change, Al draws a Transmutation Circle and summons a sword, "Brother, catch!" Al throws the sword at Ed, and as soon as Ed caught it, he attacks the shadow, "I don't know what the hell you are, but mutant pancakes aren't on the menu!"

Ed slices through the shadow, but after he did, the shadow split apart, "Waaagh! What are these things?" Al notices something, "Ed, the shadows, their...transforming!" As Ed and Al looked, the shadows start to take more human-like appearances, they almost looked like children, with antennas sticking out of their heads, red alchemical tattoos on their black skin, and bright yellow eyes with white pupils.

Sora asks, "A-are you OK Rose?" Rose replies, "I-I'm alright, it's just, well..." Sora noticed that he was on Rose, his face turns red, and then he immediately stands up, "I-I-I'm sorry, I was just-!" Sora takes Rose's hand and helps her up, "I'm so sorry, did I hurt you?" Rose touches her fingers in an act of shyness, "No, no, I'm fine. It's alright, you just startled me, that's all. Thank you for saving my life."

Sora then notices the human-like shadows attacking the Elrics, "I have to stop them!" Rose stops Sora, "But they might hurt you!" Sora turns around, "What, you don't expect me to just stand here and watch them get killed?" Rose lets Sora go, "Just...be careful, please?" Sora smiles and rushes to the Elric's assistance.

The first shadow creature pushes Al down and holds him while the second one fights Edward, "For a little guy, you sure are tough, but not tough enough!" Ed prepares to slice the shadow creature in half, but it changes into it's shadow-puddle form once again, "AWW SH-!" Ed drops down on the puddle and finds himself tied down by the shadow's tentacles.

The shadow creature's head comes out of the puddle and looks at Ed, and then slowly, it brings out a large claw, Ed started to notice what it was thinking and tried to break free of the shadow's tentacles, "Sun of a bitch! LET ME GO!" The creature prepares to strike, but then just before it touched Ed, it's head and arm were sliced off.

Sora was the one who killed the creature, by dashing by Ed and with his dagger, swiftly killing the target. As the creature fell, Ed stood back up, "Where did you learn that?" Sora turned around and replied, "I was trained in an Orphanage filled with killer kids, were you even listening?" Ed awkwardly answers, "...no."

Sora then rushes to Al's aid, he grabs the shadow creature by the throat, chucks it in the air and takes Ed's sword and threw it right into the creature's stomach. The creature fell to the ground, twitching until it was finally still. Al approached an excited Sora, "A-Are you OK?" Sora calmed down, "Yeah, how about you guys?"

Ed then rubs his head in confusion, "You seemed...tense when you killed that thing. Do you assassins always act like this?" Sora replied, "Sorry, I was trained for this sort of thing, but I never enjoyed it. But honestly, I couldn't help myself sometimes." Ed darted behind Al, "SOMETIMES? WHAT ARE YOU, A FREAK?" Sora answered, "No, I'm you're new bodyguard."

"You saved them! You really did it!" Rose said when she jumped on Sora and gave him a joyful hug, "You see? You are a hero! Without a doubt, you're an angel of God for sure! Father Cornello would be pleased to meet you!" Ed heard what she said and came before her, "So, Rose...this Cornello sure sounds pretty cool. Can we come with you guys too? Pretty Please?"

Sora stands in front of Ed, "Hold it Ed, you and I still need to talk! Mustang sent me to protect you from whatever kill-!"Ed shuts Sora's mouth, "KILLED THE CHEESE! Yeah, it smells around here, doesn't it? Jeez, the colonel is serious about us cleaning this city up!" Rose asked, "So, you were sent by the State to keep us clean?" Ed nods his head, "Of coarse we are! Oh my! Me, Sora and Al need to discuss our next part of the plan! If you'll excuse us..."

Ed takes Sora and Al a few inches away to speak with them, Al asked, "Brother, Lior is already clean, why do we have to clean it for them?" Ed answered, "BECAUSE I WAS LYING AL! Look, Sora was it?" Sora nodded, "Yes." "Look, Mustang warned me about the body count of 6 soldiers and 1 priest, and that's why I'm here, to solve the mystery." Ed said with a convincing smile on his face, but Sora saw through it, "That's not the only reason, is it?"

Ed gave a confused look, "WHAAAAT? Of coarse it is." Sora then said, "No it isn't, you're eyes say something else entirely. The look on you're eyes tell me that you're after something, something that someone here has, that's why you're pupils are twitching, because you feel annoyed by my interference and you want me to stay out of you're way! Mustang told me to protect you, not to trust you." Ed finally gave Sora a frustrated look, "Then start trusting me, I'm not here to cause any trouble, I'm just looking for something." Sora asked, "What are you after?"

Rose interrupted, "What are you guys talking about?" The three turned around, "NOTHING!" Sora then rubs his head, "Well, Rose, could you tell us about this...Cornello?" But while Sora was talking to Rose, the shadowy creature got back up and struck Sora down, Rose rushes to his aid, "SORA! Are you alright?" The Elrics were about to retaliate when suddenly, a burst of light came and destroyed the creature.

"Well Rose, you certainly know how to attract strange company, don't you?"

Rose's face was lit up as she smiled at the man who summoned light from his hand, "Father Cornello! Thank goodness it's you." Al helped Sora up then they and Ed were approached by the prophet, "Greetings and welcome to the humble town of Lior, I am Father Cornello."

Al bows to Cornello, "I'm Alphonse, nice to meet you." Sora waved, "Sora, it's a pleasure." Ed introduced himself next, "Edward Elric, what they said." Cornello staggered for a bit when he heard that name, then Ed asked, "Something wrong with that leg of yours, Father?" Cornello smiles and then turns to Rose, "My dear, are these friends of yours?" Rose replied, "Well, Sora just came here looking for the Elrics, he is a nice person though, he stood up to a bunch of bullies earlier and saved me from the monster you destroyed."

Cornello then looks at Sora and smiles, "Is that so? Well I'm grateful to you for saving her Sora, thank you." Sora rubs his head, "It was nothing, really." Rose taps Cornello's shoulder and asks him, "Father, I was hoping if you would spare some bedrooms in the temple?" Cornello nods his head, "Of coarse, anything for the ones who saved you."

As the sun started to set, Sora and the Elrics were shown to their rooms. Sora still wanted to know what Edward was after, so he came to his room and knocked on the door. However, no one answered, just before Sora could knock again, "Do you need some help?" Sora turned to his right side and saw a dark skinned man, "My name is Cray, and I have been instructed to give you a tour of our temple."

Sora was taken for about two hours through the Temple of Leto, he was shown through the kitchen, the hallways, the quire room, the altar, and even the office of the Prophet himself. Their final destination was the graveyard, where many people lost their lives after the last war. Cray explained, "During the Ishbal Rebellion, many lives were ruined, even lost. The citizens scattered across the country, looking for a new home. We were about to give up until Cornello created this town for us."

Sora was amazed at how much Cornello did for the people, "So he created Lior? Hmm, interesting, I didn't know there was a miracle strong enough to create a desert paradise like this." Sora then noticed someone sitting before a grave, it was Rose. Sora came up to her, "Hey, are you OK?"

Rose was startled at first, but was relieved to see Sora's face, "Oh, Sora, for a second there I thought..." Sora tilts his head in confusion, "Thought what?" Rose shook her head, "...No, it's nothing. I was just here to see Cain again." Sora looked around, but he didn't see anyone named Cain. But then, he noticed the grave that Rose was standing in front of, it bore the name "Cain" on it, "Oh, sorry. I didn't mean-."

Rose replies, "It's alright, Cain was just saying goodbye." Sora asked, "What happened to him?"

While Sora and Rose were talking, Ed was watching them from a window from his room. While he was listening, Al came in, "I talked to Rose, that grave you're looking at, belongs to her boyfriend Cain. He was all she had...her parents died when she was little, she's convinced that Cornello can bring him back to life with his miracles."

Ed didn't seem that surprised, "Leading her on, huh? Does she really think he can do it?" Al asked, "Well...what if he can?" This surprised Ed to hear Al say such a thing. Al sat down, "Well, what I mean is, maybe Cornello IS a holy man. Maybe there is something else out there, something we can't explain." Ed looks back out at Sora and Rose, who already finished explaining what happened to Cain.

She started to cry, so Sora pats her shoulder and walks away. He then noticed Ed watching from the window, Ed turned away and closed the window. Ed then replied to what Al said, "...Don't count on it."

End of Chapter 4

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**Next Chapter: Behind the prophet's smile...**

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	5. Chapter 5

**Last time: Sora befriends a girl named Rose, who happens to be one of Cornello's followers. While the two were walking through the street, a small cloaked stranger was watching them, he was looking for someone who could help him save Fantasia and Ametris, but he couldn't reveal himself yet, so he kept himself hidden until the right moment. **

**With Rose's guidance, Sora was able to reach the Temple of Leto, where he meets up with the Elrics again. Like Sora, they were attacked by followers of Leto, but before they could figure out why, A strange shadow monster attacked them. It's target seemed to be Edward, so Sora quickly dispatched it, proving to Ed that he was indeed sent by the State Military to protect him. **

**However, Sora started to suspect that Edward was after something in Lior, something that could be dangerous. Suddenly, the shadow monster attacked again, but was finished off by Cornello and his 'magic'. Rose asked Cornello if Sora and the Elrics could stay for awhile inside the temple, he smiled and allowed them to stay. **

**During a tour, Sora met with Rose again, who was standing before the grave of her old boyfriend, Cain...  
**

**Warning: Kingdom Hearts and Fullmetal Alchemist are both licensed by Square-Enix. The secondary licenses for both franchises are Disney (Kingdom Hearts), Aniplex, Bones Inc., and Funimation (Fullmetal Alchemist). **

**PS: There will be spoilers.**

* * *

Fullmetal Kingdom: The Fanfic

Chapter 5: A Secret Behind A Smile

The next day, a large crowd of people arrive before the church to witness another moment of miracles performed by Father Cornello. Cray opens the front door for the prophet, "There is another gathering, Father Cornello." Cornello smiled as he came out and waved at the people, "Just in time..."

Rose tugged Sora's arm as they ran, "Hurry, it's happening again! You must see this." Sora asked, "What are you trying to show me? Are those shadow creatures back?" Rose stops in front of the door, "Today, Father Cornello is performing more miracles! His magic is astounding! You have to see it for yourself." Rose opens the door, and as the two came outside, they saw all the citizens of Lior clap and cheer for Cornello.

Sora was astounded, "So, these people believe in magic?" Rose replies, "Yes, they do. Ever since Father Cornello came here, he's been performing the greatest miracles we've ever seen! It is truly the magic of God. Oh, there's a spot, come on!" Rose takes Sora to a bare spot in the crowd, where they can see Cornello's miracles.

Cornello was given a log by his followers, and then, he placed his hand on it. As he touched it, a bolt of red and white lightning burst out of his hand, then, when Cornello released the log, the lightning explodes, and in the log's place, was a massive statue. Like the crowd, Rose clapped while Sora stood in amazement, he didn't see any plow or trick, he saw the log actually transform.

And then, a little girl approached Cornello with a dead bird, Sora wondered, "Why is she touching a dead animal? They have diseases, infections, BUGS!" Rose turned toward Sora and calmed him down, "Sora, it's alright, you're about to witness Cornello's greatest miracle." Sora scratched his head, "Greater than changing a piece of wood into a stone statue? What could be better than changing objects into something else?"

Cornello then touched the bird, and just like before, the lightning appeared, but as the lightning vanished, the bird came back to life, it flew in the air, and back to Cornello. Everyone cheered, then Sora asked Rose, "So he can bring the dead to life?" Rose nods her head, "Yes, it's been his trademark ability for some time. Some say that he can even resurrect a human being, not just animals."

Sora started to wonder, _It's a miracle alright. But still, that lightning...magic has always been said to demonstrate control over the elements and the unnatural, there's even magic that can summon monsters. Cornello's miracles, they almost look like the alchemy that the Elrics used. I wonder..._ Rose asked, "Sora, are you alright?" Sora replied, "Y-yeah, I'm fine."

Later that day, Sora was still thinking about Cornello's miracles, could it be magic or alchemy? While he was thinking, he spotted Rose working in the altar, she was cleaning the desk in front. Sora decided to ask her, but then he bumped into a hooded woman, "Sorry about that." The hooded woman smiled and left, "No need cutie..."

Father Cornello was currently busy with his broadcast to Lior, "In the end, show hope and true fate so that your prayers maybe answered..." Cray opens the door, "Father, there's a guest." The hooded woman entered the room, and then Cornello came up to her, "Cray, you may leave us. In the meantime, deal with the 'pests'."

"Do you think you can indulge yourself without my knowing?" The hooded woman said as she removed her hood, Cornello explains, "Come now Lust, can't a man have at least a little fun? There are about 182 people in this city and they all see me as a great leader. If my plan works, you'll have more than enough for whatever your planning." Lust was intrigued, "Fine, but the boys from Central are a different story, deal with them, and this time..." Lust pulls out a newspaper from Central and shows the article of the 7 murders in Lior, "DON'T MAKE ANOTHER SCENE AGAIN!"

Sora came up to Rose, "Hey Rose, can I ask you something?" Rose replied, "I'm sorry Sora, I'm a bit busy right now." Suddenly, Edward's voice was heard, "Busy with what? That desk is clean enough to see your own face." Rose turned around, "Edward, hello, can I help you?" Ed shakes his head, "No, I don't need it, but maybe you do."

Sora asked, "Ed, did you just call Rose crazy?" Ed replied, "Not at all, I just said that she's wasting her time here working for some kook like Cornello." Rose felt insulted, "KOOK? Father Cornello isn't a kook!" Sora stopped Rose, "Rose, I'm a bit curious about Cornello too, just like Rumpel 'SHORT' skin over there." Edward interrupted, "SAY WHAT NOW?" Sora asked Rose, "You saw the Elrics perform alchemy, right? Cornello's miracles could very well be alchemy as well. Is it possible?"

Rose shook her head, "No, that's impossible! He resurrected a bird for God's sake! His miracles are real! What more do you want from him?" Ed replied, "How about creating a whole human body?" Sora and Rose were a bit startled by Ed's question, but Rose answered, "I'm sure Father Cornello is capable of that, he can even, well, if you asked him Ed, he might be able to make you taller!" Ed snaps, "WHAT? THAT COMING FROM A MEMBER OF A TRIBE OF GIANTS!"

Rose then asked, "But, why do you ask?" Ed reaches into his coat and pulls out a book, he flipped through a few pages and finally started reading, "Water, 35 leaders, Carbon, 20 kilograms, Ammonia, 4 leaders, Lime, 1.5 kilograms, Phosphorous, 800 grams, Salt, 250 grams, Saltpeter, 100 grams, Sulfur, 80 grams, Florine, 7.5, Iron, 5, Silicon, 3 grams, and Trace Amounts of 15 other Elements."

After what Ed said, Rose asked, "Whats that?" Ed answered, "It's the ingredients to the adult human body, down to the last specks of protein in your eyelashes." then Ed started to walk toward Rose, "To this day, science has always given us the physical break down, but there has never been a successful breakthrough for transmuting a whole human being...so what makes you think that faker can do the job?"

Rose was stuck in a corner, she believed in Cornello's miracles more than Edward's words, but she couldn't find any words to prove Cornello's miracles were true. Sora felt pretty bad about what Ed said to Rose, "Alright Ed, you made you're point. Knock it off." Ed continued talking, "In case you were wondering Rose, those ingredients can be bought off of a child's allowance. Humans are made cheep, there's no magic behind it."

Rose asks, "Well, if there's no magic, why don't you try bringing someone back to life?" Ed smiled, "It's only a matter of time Rose." Sora interrupts, "I knew it! You are looking for something here, aren't you?" Ed asked, "What makes you say that?" Sora replied, "Alchemy, that's what! Cornello's alchemy seemed way too powerful to be natural, you have your eyes set on it, don't you?"

Rose interrupted, "Your planning on seizing Father Cornello's magic? You heathen!" Ed "It's not magic Rose, it's the science that is alchemy. Science is the answer to everything you know, and if I were you, I'd drop the scriptures and read a book. Books hold more secrets than scriptures anyway, enough secrets to make you realize that we humans are the closest things to gods there are."

Sora felt disturbed by Edward's knowledge, "Edward, are you...trying to become a god so that you can bring someone back to life?" Ed answered, "I'm not close enough to being a god Sora, and neither is the sun. Since it's only a massive ball of hydrogen" Sora asked, "So what are you trying to do?" Ed answered, "Nothing that involves hurting innocent people, I'm not like Cornello, who would see anything like the sun as power. Just a warning Rose, if you follow Cornello, if you get to close to the sun...then all you'll do is burn up."

Sora scratched his head, "OK, but you still haven't answered my question. What are you looking for, and what are you trying to do?" Ed looked at Sora and replied, "It's not something that I can say at the moment." Suddenly, a voice is heard, "Or will ever say again."

Sora, Ed, and Rose look to the direction of where the voice was coming from, and it was Cray. Rose smiled, "Cray? What are you-?(gasp)!" As Rose gasped, Sora and Edward noticed that behind Cray was a group of followers of Leto, holding Alphonse as a hostage, "Brother, I'm sorry, they surprised me from behind." Ed telled, "Let him go!" Cray smiled, "Just a moment..." then swiftly, Cray pulled out his gun and shot Al! "AL!"

Cray then ordered the followers, "OK, now let him go." The followers complied and dropped Al's body, Rose asked, "Cray, how could you? WHY DID YOU SHOOT HIM?" Cray points his gun at Ed and replies to Rose, "I'm sorry Rose, but the Elrics have been decreed as enemies of God." Sora stands in Cray's way, "Geez, your god sure is a jerk. Despite the little guy being a jerk (Ed: "HEY!"), I'm his bodyguard, so I won't let you kill him."

Cray frowned, "So Sora, you would stand against God? Too bad." He then grabbed Rose and pointed the gun at her, "ROSE!" Cray ordered Sora, "In the name of God, you will not interfere with my holy mission. NOW STAND ASIDE!" Rose asked, "C-Cray, why are you-?" Cray answered, "It's God's will Rose...not mine."

"I don't think so!"

Cray turned around and was shocked to see Al's body back up, headless! And right behind him, the followers that held him, were all unconscious, dizzy, and beaten down. Cray let's Rose go and points his gun at Al, "H-how? Your supposed to be dead!" Rose rushes to Sora's side, frightened, "Sora...Al's body...it's hollow!" Sora was startled to see that, inside Al's armor, was no body to be seen, just a strange mark of blood.

"AL CATCH!" Ed said as he chucked Al's helmet/head at Cray, knocking him out, as the helmet bounced off Cray's face, Al tried to catch it, "I got it, I got it!" Then the helmet fell on Sora's head, Rose felt more afraid than she ever felt before, so she fled, "MONSTERS!" Al tried to call out to her, "Wait Rose, wait, it's still me!" but she was already gone.

Sora was scared stiff, his head was covered by another head, so Ed slowly took off Al's helmet/head from Sora's head and asked, "You OK?" Sora fell to his knees, "W-w-w-w-w-" Ed finished, "What was that you just saw, right?" After putting his head back on, Al bent over and pulled Sora back up, "Sora, it's me. I'm sorry that I scared you, please don't be afraid." Sora was more than afraid, he was terrified, he never heard of a living suit of armor before.

Sora tried to gather his senses back, "A-Al, where's your h-head?" Al repied, "It's alright Sora, I don't have a body, this has been who I was since..." Sora asked, "Since when?" Ed finished, "We did something stupid in the past, and we're paying for it."

Sora turned toward Ed, "Your both...paying for what?" Ed shakes his head, "I'll explain later, right now, we have a murder case to solve!" Ed and Al rush in the direction Rose went, Sora runs after them and asked, "You guys think that Cornello might be responsible for those deaths?" Ed replied, "Well duh! That Cray guy and those damn followers were hell-bent on killing us, even Rose!" Sora thought to himself, _Rose, please be alright!_

A few hours later, the three made it to a chamber with a large star on the door. Sora asked, "Is this where Rose is?" Ed replied, "Only one way to find out, let's crack open this egg and say 'hello'." Sora, Ed, and Al opened the door and entered the chamber. Suddenly, the doors behind them close, Sora then asked, "Um, did anyone bring a flashlight?" Al answered, "Brother left most of his equipment in his room." Ed then said, "HEY, I DIDN'T KNOW THAT WE NEEDED IT AT THE TIME! QUIT BLAMING ME FOR EVERYTHING AL!"

Sora then noticed someone standing on the deck in the chamber, "Rose, is that you?" Then the lights came on, and Rose reveals herself standing on the deck. Sora ran toward her, "Rose are you alright?" Rose had a depressed and heartbroken face, she couldn't look at him, Sora tried to speak to her again, "Look Rose, I was scared too, but the Elrics aren't scary people, they're-." A voice interrupted, "Sinners."

Sora and the Elrics then notice Cornello, walking down the stairs toward Rose on the deck, "Thank you Rose, you have done a grand job bringing these people to me." Cornello finally reaches the deck and comes before the three, "State Alchemists, brutal enforcers, I had a feeling that one of you would show up someday. But I had no idea that the military had access to Y. O. U. T. H. as well."

Al asked, "What do you mean?" Cornello smiled, "Well, if you don't understand, why don't you ask your bodyguard?" Sora answered, "They already know that I was picked from the orphanage. The only surprise was the fact that you know the name of my alliance. Now fess up! You killed those soldiers, didn't you?" Cornello turned away, "I wouldn't know of it. I'm a holy man of God after all."

Ed then said, "A holy man? COME ON! Those were your men over there, they wore your clothes, they held the same weapons your guards had, your buddy Cray was even with them, pointing a gun at us. This all points to two things, 1, your responsible for the deaths of those soldiers, and one of your own followers..." Rose's eyes widened in fear, "D-deaths?" Ed finished, "And 2, you knew that me and Al were here for the stone!"

Just then, Cornello's eyebrow lifted, he knew what Edward was talking about. He lifted his left arm and shows the ring that he wore, "Hmph, you mean THIS, little man?" Ed smiled, "I knew it, no Transmutation Circle, ignoring the laws of Equivalent Exchange completely, all this can only mean one thing!" Sora asked, "What? That his jewelry can perform alchemy?"

Cornello answered, "Not a very smart bodyguard, are you? My ring holds within it the mythical gem, the legendary amplifier, the Philosopher Stone!" Ed extends his hand, "Cough up the rock 'holy man', that stone belongs to me now! And if you do, I'll keep quiet about you little charade." Cornello laughed, "HAHAHAHA! That is utterly absurd! Those people are my loyal followers, do you think anyone would listen to you?"

Sora stepped forth, "Whether it is or not is irrelevant! What matters right now is what you did! Admit it! You killed those people, didn't you?" Cornello nods his head, "Of coarse I did, they were getting too close. But do you think they'll care? My miracles brought the town peace and prosperity. No one would want my miracles to end no matter what damage I did...do they Rose?" Rose just stood still.

Sora calls out to Rose, "He's lying Rose! He can't bring Cain back, he's a liar and a thief!" Cornello protested, "Nonsense, would a liar give people food? Would a thief give children hope? When I came, these people were abandoned, and so I brought them true happiness, they were thirsty so I gave to them water, I even built buildings for them and gave them money. They believed that Heaven had forsaken them and so I became their prophet. So why does the military want to ruin all that?"

Sora replied, "It's because murder isn't something to cover up with miracles!" The room went silent for a few seconds, enraged by Sora's strong spirit, Cornello yelled, "ENOUGH! I'd expect a big mouth from the State Alchemist, but clearly, the so-called bodyguard doesn't know when to shut up." Ed was next to speak, "He's annoying, I'll give you that, but then again, he didn't start a cult using the Philosopher Stone, did he?"

Cornello then smiled and put up his ring hand again, "There's no point in arguing with you fools. If you want the Philosopher Stone, little State Alchemist, THAN YOU'LL HAVE TO TAKE IT FROM ME!"

End of Chapter 5

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**Next Chapter: The Genomes arrive in Ametris.**

**Please Comment.  
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	6. Chapter 6

**Last time: Rose brought Sora out to see Father Cornello perform his miracles, and though most of the townspeople in Lior were fascinated, Sora couldn't help but suspect the miracles to be alchemy.**

**Sora decided to ask Rose about the miracles, but Edward Elric appeared and answered Sora's question. Cornello's miracles were indeed alchemy, but the alchemy Cornello was using was different, it ignored the natural laws of equivalence. Rose was quick to back up Cornello's miracles, but Ed was still not convinced.**

**Suddenly, Cray arrived with Alphonse as his hostage, and then shot Al. Cray points his gun at Ed, stating that it was God's will that commanded him to kill the Elric Bros. But surprisingly, Ed was saved, not by Sora, but by Al himself. The sight of an empty talking suit frightened Rose, so she fled from them in fear. It took Sora some time to come to grips with what he was seeing, Al explained that he and Ed came to Lior to not only reveal Cornello as the true killer, but also take from him, the Philosopher Stone.**

**Sora went along with the Elrics to try and find Rose and explain the situation, but when they found her, she was standing by Cornello's side...**

**Warning: Kingdom Hearts and Fullmetal Alchemist are both licensed by Square-Enix. The secondary licenses for both franchises are Disney (Kingdom Hearts), Aniplex, Bones Inc., and Funimation (Fullmetal Alchemist). **

**PS: There will be spoilers.**

* * *

Fullmetal Kingdom: The Fanfic

Chapter 6: Arrival to Ametris

It was 2 days after they left, and the Kingdom ship was caught in the middle of a rain storm. Donald was struggling with the steering wheel, and at the same time, feeling a little sea sick. Inside, Goofy was preparing breakfast with the help of Chip and Dale. Jiminy was busy writing in his journal about how they were almost approaching Ametris.

Goofy called out to the captain, "Donald, breakfast time!" Donald yelled back, "I (blurgh) can't let the wheel go. If I do, we'll (hiccup), end up lost in some-OH THAT'S IT! (BARF)" Goofy comes out of the ship and onto the deck with Donald's breakfast, "I'll take over for you Donald, in the meantime, you can take the breakfast I made for you and fill up."

Donald stopped puking and looked at Goofy, he asked, "Thank you Goofy, ugh, what did you cook up?" Goofy shows the dish and said, "I made you an omelet special, with beans included!" Donald snapped, "BEANS! (quacking maniacally)" Goofy tried to calm Donald down, "Donald please, we're almost to Ametris, just take a few deep breaths and think of Daisy."

"SHUT UP! I CAN'T STAND IT! (quacking maniacally)"

Donald turns psychotic and tries to fly away, Goofy calls out, "WAIT DONALD, COME BACK! ONE BATCH O' BEANS WON'T KILL YA!" Donald just kept flapping his wings, "IF I STAY ANY LONGER ON THAT SHIP, ANOTHER DISH OF THOSE DAMN BEANS WILL WILL BE THE END OF YOU! (quacking maniacally)" Donald looked back at the Kingdom but unbeknown to Donald, he was about to make contact with a lighthouse!

(smash)

Donald slides slowly down to the ground in pain, Goofy noticed the lighthouse, "Gwarsh, I guess we made it to Ametris. Donald, we made it!" Donald dizzily stood back up, "Great, just great Goofy. But could you put aside your amazement and GET THE FRIGGING BANDAGES? My head hurts!"

After bandaging Donald's wounds, Goofy starts to unload all their stuff from the Kingdom, They took out everything, disguises, dishes, food, relics, everything that they would require while searching for their friend Mickey.

Goofy then found a large box of Gummi Blocks, "Uh Donald, why are you bringing so much candy?" Donald replied, "It's not just candy Goofy, they're my ingredients for my spells." Goofy smiled, "I understand. They are sweet, and at the same time, they can be very helpful when creating healing Potions. Or at least...that's what I've heard."

Chip and Dale, in the meantime, brought out of the ship, a hand built truck named Delores. Donald asked, "How did you get THAT in the ship?" Chip replied, "I thought we could travel through Ametris in style, so me and Dale asked the president's wife if we could bring our truck along." Dale patted the truck, "She's a beaut, ain't she?" Goofy nods, "She sure is, Ahyuck!"

And so, Goofy and Donald put all the equipment and items in the Delores, while Chip & Dale parked the Kingdom next to the lighthouse. After a few hours, Chip & Dale cover the ship with a large sheet and then placed a sign on the sheet, 'This ship is reserved, DO NOT TOUCH! YOU TOUCH, YOU GON' GET IT!"

Then the chipmunks jump into the Delores, "Alright, we're finished!" Donald then looks at the Ametris Map, "Now all we need to do is head for the nearest town and find a place to stay." Jiminy jumps on Donald's shoulder to try and read the map, "If I'm not mistaken, Central City should be close by." Donald gave a thumbs up to Jiminy, "Central City it is, step on it Goofy!"

Goofy started the engine and followed Donald's directions. However, Donald wasn't good with maps, so thanks to him, the group found themselves in different areas, Wonderland, Notre Dame, even Gotham City, this went on for a whole day.

The next day, Jiminy decided to read the map, and then, by sunset, they finally made it to Central City.

In Central City, Donald and Goofy keep themselves hidden in the slums, "Goofy, take out the map." Goofy complies and looks at it, Donald asks, "Is there any place we can go to for the night?" then Chip spoke, "It's a city stupid, there's always an Inn in a city." Dale spoke next, "Yeah stupid, it's a city!" Then Jiminy asked, "Goofy, why don't you let me take a look?" Goofy nods his head, "Sure thing Jiminy."

As Jiminy looked through the Central City map, he noticed a hotel close by, "Donald, Goofy, there's one close by! It's called 'Rin's Travel Agency', from what I've heard, the place is owned by an Ishbalin named Rin, who has placed many travel agencies all around Ametris." Donald cheers, "YES! You the man, er, bug. Let's go, quickly!"

As the Genomes entered Rin's Travel Agency, Goofy accidentally bumps into someone, "#$%^&*" Goofy was startled, "I-I'm sorry-!" The man smiled and said, "Apologies, what I meant to say was 'pardon me'." Goofy felt relieved, "Oh, well, I was the one who bumped into you, I should be the one apologizing."

Donald asked, "Excuse me, but do you work here?" The man nods his head, "Why yes I do. As a matter of fact I'm-." Suddenly, a voice was heard, "Rin, I noticed your flowers were withering out. Would you like some more?" Donald and Goofy turned and saw a flower girl, she had a polite smile, beautiful eyes, long brown hair, and she wore a large red ribbon.

Donald turned back at the man he was talking with, "R-Rin? WAITAMINUTE, YOUR RIN?" Rin chuckled, "Sorry, I meant to tell you. Anyway, welcome to Rin's Travel Agency, I am Rin, the guild master and founder of this agency. Would you like to stay for the night?"

Goofy nods, "Why yes, thank you Mr. Rin, we won't forget your generosity." Rin replies, "Please friend, just call me Rin. Mr. Rin sounds a bit silly." As Goofy, Rin, and Donald spoke to each other, the flower girl tapped Donald's shoulder, "Excuse me, are you two...friends of the president?"

Donald and Goofy froze and turned around in shock. Rin noticed a few people looking at them, "My friends, we should talk about the subject somewhere else." Rin guides Donald, Goofy, and the flower girl upstairs inside his office. After Rin turned on the lights, closed the curtains, and closed the door, he and the three others sat near a table.

Donald asks, "Alright, just what the heck is going on? And how do you know about us?" Rin was about to explain, but the flower girl stopped him, "I should tell them. Meanwhile, you should try and call the others." Rin nods, "Of course, I'll get right on that!" Rin exits the office, leaving the two Genomes alone with the girl.

"The one your searching for, Mickey, has met with us and informed us about the situation. My name is Aeris, and your president asked me to speak with you on his behalf..."

Meanwhile, back in Lior...

"There is no point in arguing! If you want the Philosopher Stone, YOU'LL HAVE TO TAKE IT FROM ME!"

As soon as Cornello finished talking, his ring sparked red light again. After that the sand underneath Sora and the Elrics started to shake, and then it bursts out and pulls Alphonse into it! "ED!" "AL!"After the sand engulfed Ed's little brother Cornello laughed, "A hollow suit of armor has a disadvantage against soft sand! YOU CAN'T DRAW TRANSMUTATION CIRCLES IN IT EITHER!"

Sora pulls out his dagger, " Don't worry Ed, I'll dig him out!" Sora rushes toward the part of the area where Al was buried in, but Cornello takes his walking stick and then taps the ground, and then, Sora's wrist was grabbed by an arm made of shadow, "The Shadow creatures?" The shadow reveals itself and grabs the other arm, it then tossed Sora against a pillar, knocking him unconscious, Rose cried out, "SORA!"

As Sora fell, Ed looked at Cornello, "So those things were working for you, huh? HA! Some holy man you are!" Cornello replied, "Darkness and Light are not so different. They are beneficial to those who know how to use them." Cornello then taps his walking stick again, dismissing the Shadow.

"But death by the claws of a demon wouldn't be natural, now would it?" Cornello then proceeds in pressing a button, and then, a door opens, letting in a strange and large creature, it kept itself hidden behind the pillars.

Cornello tells Ed, "You of all people should be able to understand the power of alchemy, boy. Like for instance, alchemy can create and combine other animals into more superior beasts, beasts even more deadly than the proud lion, beasts more swift than the alligator, beasts like the Chimera!"

After Cornello's explanation, the chimera emerges from the darkness and stood before Ed, with the upper body of a lion, and the legs and tail of a large alligator, it's eyes were reptilian, and it's mouth was quite large. Ed could only feel sorry for it, "A chimera, the most depraved form of Alchemy there is." Cornello replied, "Maybe so, but most effective! Go my beast, RIP HIM TO PIECES!"

The Chimera roars and charges at Ed, but Ed wasn't frightened at all, instead, he seemed...excited, "Alright kitty...you wanna play? LET'S PLAY!" Ed then clapped his hands and placed them on the ground, and just like that, without drawing a Transmutation Circle, he created a long spear. Cornello was startled by Edward's unique gift, "H-how can you do that without a Transmutation Circle?" Then, as the Chimera tried to pounce on Edward, he took his spear and knocked it away, like it was a golf ball!

Meanwhile, Sora woke up and stood up, he rubbed his head and noticed Al's hand sticking out of the sand, trying to reach for something, "Hang on Al!" Sora rushes to try and pull Alphonse out, but before he could, Cornello noticed Sora rushing back to Al, Cornello then grabbed his pet bird and threw it at Sora, "BRING ME HIS HEAD MY PET!"

And just like before, Cornello used his ring again, but instead of making the sand come to life, he increased the size of his bird. Sora kept pulling Al's hand, and then, he noticed Al's head poking out, as Al blinked, he noticed Sora, "It's OK Al, your almost free!" But suddenly, Alphonse noticed the Bird flying toward Sora, "LOOK OUT!"

Sora turned around and was knocked away from Alphonse. The Bird used it's talons to try and scratch Sora, who was dodging every blow. Sora then punches it away, and while the Bird was trying to gather it's senses, Sora ran back to Al. Sora pulls most of Al's upper body out of the sand, but the Bird was quick to regain consciousness, it swoops down and bights Sora's arm.

Cornello commands the Bird Chimera, "HA! NOW SNAP IT!" but before it could, Edward slices through the Bird Chimera's wing using his spear, "You bit the wrong arm pal!" The Bird lets go of Sora's arm and screeches in pain, "Here's the right one!" Ed then hit the Bird with a swift right hook that sent the monstrous Bird flying.. Sora covers his bleeding arm, "I...was careless...sorry Ed." Ed tears a part of his coat off and uses it to cover Sora's wound, "Happens to everybody. Now help me get Al out."

The two start digging Al out, but before they were done, a roar was heard, the Chimera that Ed defeated was back on it's feet, and it was ready for Round 2. "I'll handle this one. Just stay behind me!" Sora picks his dagger up and covers the Elrics, but Ed noticed that Sora was trembling, his arm was in worse shape than he thought. Sora felt the pain on his left arm, thanks to the attack from the Bird, Sora couldn't hold his dagger well.

The Chimera leaps at Sora, preparing to pounce on it's prey, and though Sora was prepared to die while protecting his target, Edward wouldn't allow it. He pushes Sora out of the way and...

Rose turned away, feeling guilty for what happened to Edward. Cornello smiled, "Heh, it was inevitable, he died just like the rest of-. Huh?" As Cornello watched, the Chimera wasn't making any progress in tearing Ed's arm off, "W-what are you doing? Stop playing with you're food and tear him apart!" Little did Cornello realize that the Chimera was trying to all along. As much as it tried to tear the arm off, it couldn't, it's teeth were starting to ache, it was like biting into...

"You Poor Bastard of a Kitty, don't like the way I taste?" Rose slowly turned and looked at Ed, and to her surprise, as much as Sora's, Ed was standing tall, and he lifted the Chimera with his bitten arm. He then throws it aside,"THEN EAT THIS!" in that instant, kicks it away! The Chimera fell to the ground, motionless.

Sora walked over to Ed, "W-what happened? You didn't flinch, you didn't even run!" Ed noticed his long sleeve torn, "It's not that big a deal." Sora then noticed that through the torn holes in Ed's sleeve, something shined through, "Ed, your arm...is that-?" before Sora could finish, Cornello asked, "That's impossible! The claws on your leg, the teeth on your arm! No one could survive that! Unless...your limbs, THEY'RE FAKE!"

Ed grins, "Brilliant deduction, fat boy!" Sora asked, "Fake limbs...your wearing Automail? But why?" Ed replied, "I lost my original one a long time ago...as well as my left leg." Ed then knocked on his left leg, which sounded like a bell when he hit it. "Rose, you can hear me right? Then you need to see this more than anyone." Rose watched as Ed grabbed his torn sleeve, and started pulling it off, "Oh my God..."

"Rose, don't look away! You need to see what happens...when you go against the Laws of Equivalence, when you step into God's territory!" as she kept looking, Rose saw Ed's entire arm revealed, "IS THIS WHAT YOU WANT ROSE?" Where his arm was supposed to be, there is nothing but an Automail arm.

Rose was shocked to see Ed's true arm, "His arm...it's entirely mechanical!" As Rose looked with fear, Sora looked with curiosity, "The gears, the connectors, a bolt in you're chest? What happened to you?" Ed replied, "I got too close to the sun." Ed then looked at Rose again, "It's like I said Rose, if you get too close, you burn."

Cornello started to sweat, he too was amazed at Ed's arm, "I see...now I understand you Elric, you crossed a line, didn't you? You did what was strictly forbidden! And for that, your bodies were taken to the other side! Your sins, the 'Full Metal' arm and leg, your talent in alchemy, you are the Fullmetal, aren't you? THE FULLMETAL ALCHEMIST!"

End of Chapter 6

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**Next Chapter: It's not easy being a fugitive...**

**Please Comment.  
**


	7. Chapter 7

**Last time: The Genomes, Donald and Goofy, finally reach Amestris, where they hope to find President Mickey. They kept themselves hidden in the city of Central, and have been given a room at Rin's Travel Agency. It was there that they befriended the owner and founding man of the buisness, Rin, and a strange beautiful flower girl named Aeris, who told them that they would offer them assistance as well as a message from Mickey himself.**

**Meanwhile, back in Lior, Cornello unleashed two beasts to kill Sora and the Elric Brothers. But in the end, his tricks and pets were no match for them. During the conflict, Edward's right arm was bitten, but he revealed his arm to be made out of Automail, robotic limbs made to replace the missing ones. Sora could only imagine how he and his iron brother Alphonse became iron remnants of their original selves...  
**

**Warning: Kingdom Hearts and Fullmetal Alchemist are both licensed by Square-Enix. The secondary licenses for both franchises are Disney (Kingdom Hearts), Aniplex, Bones Inc., and Funimation (Fullmetal Alchemist). **

**PS: There will be spoilers.**

* * *

Fullmetal Kingdom: The Fanfic

Chapter 7: The Avenger Strikes

As Cornello looked at Edward's automail arm, he said, "This does answer a riddle...why the military gave the name 'Fullmetal' to a brat like you? Because it's fitting." He then turned to Rose, "You see my child, alchemy can be beneficial as well as dangerous, but there is a practice even more forbidden...AND THAT'S WHEN YOU USE HUMANS IN ALCHEMIC EXPERIMENTS!"

Sora turned toward Edward in disbelief, "Ed, did you...?" Ed shook his head, "We didn't kill anyone. This idiot doesn't know the whole story." Cornello laughed, "That coming from a miserable little boy who performed Human Transmutation. Admit it, your poking fun at me to hide your own guilt. You and your brother are the ones who dabbled into alchemy you knew nothing about. YOU STEPPED ON THE TOES OF GOD!"

"We...we just wanted to see her."

Ed turned to Al, "Stop Al, there's no need to explain our selves to him." though Ed stopped Al from revealing too much, Cornello was quick to guess, "HER you say? Let me guess, your mother? HA! It's so obvious! You tried so hard to bring her back but in the end you failed, am I right?" Ed looked down, "Yeah, I'd label that a failure. Al lost his body and I lost a leg. I was reckless and I almost lost my brother because of that. To save what was left of him, I gave up my arm and placed his soul in a suit of armor, using my own blood."

Ed looked at Rose again and shows her his automail arm again, "You see Rose, this is what happens when you defy the Laws and try to bring back what's dead...DO YOU REALLY WANNA GO THROUGH WITH THAT?

Rose shutters at the very thought of missing an arm and leg, but Cornello placed his hand on Rose's shoulder, "Be not afraid Rose, you forget the sun god has promised on to me the Philosopher Stone. With it I can surely do better at Human Transmutation than these hieratic boys." Sora interrupted, "I doubt that! The Elrics tried it and now look at them! There's a chance that it will happen to you too!"

Cornello replied, "If that's true, then why are they so anxious in taking this stone?" Sora answered, "Because your using it for evil?" Cornello replied, "Wrong you idiot! It's because my stone CAN resurrect the dead! They want it so that they can actually succeed in bringing their precious mommy back to life!"

Ed steps forward, "WRONG, HOLY MAN! All we want is to restore our bodies back to the way they were!" Al asks, "We will ask again, PLEASE give us the stone." Cornello started to feel nervous, his chimera and giant bird were defeated by the Elric's and their bodyguard, he already sent his followers to attack them, and in the end, all of his tricks failed.

"Sinners! You are nothing but a damned State Alchemist, Elric! You and your group of cheerleaders!" Cornello swiftly used the Philosopher Stone and changed his cain into a powerful Gatling Gun! "The stone is MINE, and I will never give it to any of you fools!" Cornello proceeded to pulling the trigger, and using all the ammo in the gun, in an effort to kill his enemies!

After the dust cleared, Cornello was shocked to see his targets still alive! Right in front of Sora and the Elrics, was a small hooded man, who seemed to have used a spell of some kind, "Glad I got here in time." Cornello noticed the big round ears on the hood, as well as a thin tail, "W-what is this...thing?"

Sora looked at the small hooded man, "Uh, thank you for saving us." The hooded man nodded and said, "You...your Sora, right?" Sora nods his head in confusion, and so the hooded man reached into his pocket and pulled out a small keychain. The keychain had a strange pattern on it, it almost looked like ruins, Sora asked, "What's this?" The hooded man replied, "It's the 'Key' to mankind's fate Sora. I'm giving it to you. Please, stop the Golems!" Sora asked, "Golems? What are you talking ab-?"

And just like that, the hooded man left, "When you master the Key, then we will meet again!"

Suddenly, the entrance opened, and Cornello's followers began to shoot at the Elrics, Ed, Sora, and Al ran for a wall, Cornello laughed, "Idiots, your running to a dead end!" Ed smiled and clapped his hands, and then, he creates a door on the wall for him and the others to escape through. An irritated Cornello commanded his men, "What are you waiting for? FOLLOW THEM AND KILL THEM!"

As the followers went through the door, Rose couldn't help but ask, "Father Cornello, what Edward said, about how all your miracles were actually just alchemy, is it true?" Cornello gave her a kind smile, then transmuted his gun back into a cain, after that, he said, "It's true that I am not the messenger of the Sun God, but just because I am not a real prophet doesn't mean that I can't help you Rose. As I said, I do have the power to resurrect Cain. Come with me and I will show you."

After a few minutes of walking through the temple, Cornello opens a door for Rose that led to a large bedroom. The be she saw was covered with curtains, and behind those curtains, was a human-like shadow of someone behind the curtains. As Rose looked at the figure, she heard a faint voice from behind, "R-Rose..." Rose broke into tears when she heard the voice, knowing who it was, she smiled, "Cain, is that you?"

Rose tried to approach Cain, but Cornello stopped her before she could come any closer, "Your faith in the Sun God has rewarded you with your lost lover Rose, you should be very happy. But I'm afraid that now is not the time to approach him. I promise that in time, when he has been fully restored, the two of you will be reunited."

Rose wiped her tears away and said, "I always knew, this truly is the work of God. If only Sora knew..." Cornello interrupted, "Perhaps there is still some hope for him. Sora seemed to respect and understand you quite well. Maybe if he witnessed Cain as well, he could be persuaded into joining us. You may find him if you want, and when you do, bring him here."

Rose nods and was about to leave, but then, she noticed a few bird feathers near the bed. She didn't understand it, but somehow, it terrified her...

That night, Sora and the Elrics were hiding in the slums, keeping themselves hidden from everyone, Sora looked at the keychain again, "The Key to saving...mankind? What's this about?" Suddenly, a broadcast was heard through Lior, "People of Lior, just recently, a group of strangers just tried to assassinate our holy prophet, Cornello. The first, a small blond boy with a mechanical arm. The second, a young man with brown spiky hair, equipped with a small dagger. And the third, a large suit of armor."

As soon as the broadcast was heard, every citizen in Lior brought out bats, poles, torches, anything they could find and use to punish the supposed assassins. Unbeknown to everyone, Lust was watching them from a faraway view, "Hmph, it's mouth-watering, isn't it Gluttony?" A larger person came toward Lust, he was a small, fat, and big nosed person, who seemed to be starving, "Y-yes Lust. All the little people down there look delicious!"

Lust shook her head, "I swear Gluttony, you can be pretty pathetic when it comes to food. For now, we'll keep watching these fools hunt down the 'assassins'. So I don't want you to eat unless I tell you to, understand?" Gluttony nods, "Yes, yes, I understand very well Lust!"

While the people of Lior were searching for them, Sora and the Elrics stay in the shadows of the slums, trying to come up with a plan. Edward shook his head, "No choice you guys, we'll have to split up." Sora asked, "Will you be able to handle them yourself?" Ed pats Sora's shoulder, "Did you forget already? I'm the guy that saved your life twice! And besides, your best bet is to run since your arm's been injured."

Sora shook his head, "It's nothing! I was sent to protect you, what happens to me isn't important." Ed replied, "Geez, you have a funny way of disobeying people. Are all you assassins like this?"

Sora felt a bit hurt by Edward's question, so he looked away, "Y. O. U. T. H. operatives aren't disobedient, without asking, they always follow orders. But...I'm a bit different. And because I was different, the doctors and caretakers thought that I was a failure. They kept saying stuff like, 'You didn't train right, what's wrong with you?' 'Why can't you be like No. Blah blah?' 'No. Yack Yack has more experience than you!' and even, 'An emotional kid like you is better off back on the streets.'"

Sora continued, "Y. O. U. T. H. trains their children to be obedient, lethal, and emotionless. I was the only flaw." Alphonse interrupts, "Is it really terrible to have emotions? You came back to help us when we were attacked by the shadow monster, you never gave up on trying to persuade Rose to leave Cornello's side, Sora, don't you get it? Emotions...like faith, are the reason why we're alive right now! If you were hopeless, Rose would have never befriended you, and we wouldn't have come inside the temple, an emotionless drone would have killed those people, even if they worked for Cornello, it still wouldn't be right to kill them."

"Remember, faith is the most powerful weapon we have...never forsake it."

Sora was touched by Al's words, "Alphonse-." Suddenly, a voice was heard, "They're in the slums! GET THEM!" It was the townspeople, they found the three, so Ed pushes Sora, "Go, we can handle this!" Sora couldn't move, he wanted to stay and fight, but he was also afraid of what might happen to the Elrics, if he was careless again, like earlier with the Chimera, then there would be a chance that the Elrics could get seriously injured, or worse...

"Just run, trust me!" Ed said to Sora. "But I-!" Alphonse stopped Sora from continuing, "Have faith, we will survive. GO!" Alphonse pushes Sora away, just in time for him and Edward to lure the crowd away, as the townspeople ran after them, Sora could only watch as his friends disappeared from his sight.

Sora rushes out of the slums, and climbs up a ladder that led to the top of a building. From there, he looked from afar, hoping to see the Elrics. But he could not see them, so he listens to the sound of angry men and women, and then, he began rushing toward the sound, jumping from roof top to roof top. He wasn't sure at first, but then...

"WHO'RE YOU CALLIN' A BOSSY LITTLE PIPSQUEAK?"

Sora recognized that temper tantrum, it was Ed, who was apparently caught by the townspeople. Sora rushes to try and save him, but then, as soon as he got there, Edward was cornered, and then, large statues slowly came. Sora thought, _Those statues, they were from the Temple of Leto! Probably another 'miracle' from that creep Cornello. I can stop them-!_ But as Sora reached for his dagger, he felt the wound in his arm, he was still trying to heal from his injury. _I-I have to...save them!_

The statues were wielding large spears, using one of them to pierce Alphonse's body, "AL!" Ed tried to stop them, but then, he was instantly knocked unconscious by a blow from one of the statues. Sora watched as Ed was taken by Cornello's followers, while the statues were smashing Al to pieces.

As everyone left, the statues remained to finish tearing Alphonse apart, Sora closed his eyes and looked away..._Is it really terrible to have emotions?_

Sora turned around, his head was aching, _Emotions...like faith, are the reason why we're alive right now!_ Alphonse's words were burning in his head, _An emotionless drone would have killed those people, it still wouldn't be right to kill them._ Sora's eyes started to burn with anger as he kept looking at the merciless statues, then, they finished Alphonse, by crushing what was left of his helmet...

_Is it really terrible to have emotions?_

"...no."

Sora jumps down, and ignored the pain in his arm, while he grabbed his dagger, "RRRAAAAAAGH!" Sora rushed at the statues, destroying the one that finished Al off. The other three attack him, but Sora quickly sliced through them, a head, an arm, and a piece of a spear fell to the ground. Despite this, the statues continued attacking, the first statue threw Sora against a building wall, and attempted to skewer him, but Sora sliced through the spear and broke the statue into pieces.

The second tried to smash him, but Sora grabbed it's arm and tossed it against a wall, shattering it to pieces. Now only one statue remained, Sora attempted to easily smash through it, but it bats Sora away, the statue attempts to stab Sora's injured arm, but as it did, a light started to shine from Sora's pocket, protecting him with a strange shield with markings of alchemy on it.

Sora reached into his pocket and pulled out the source of light, "The key?" Suddenly, the key started to connect itself with Sora's dagger, "AVENGER! What's going on?" the statue prepared itself for another attack from Sora. Sora decided to trust the Key, and so, he clapped them both together, and then, the sun began to rise, and a bolt of lightning burst from the dagger. As the light went away, Sora saw his dagger, Avenger, transformed into a longer, light weighted sword, with pieces missing making the sword look almost like a key.

"A...Keyblade?"

Suddenly, the statue makes it's move and attacked! Sora was knocked down, and the statue lifted it's leg to stomp Sora flat. But Sora was quick to retaliate, scicing the statue in half, it was a clean slice, without any chipped pieces coming off. The statue fell, and Sora stood victorious.

Sora rushed to Al's side, trying to see if he was alright, "Al? Al? Alphonse speak to me!" Sora gathered all the broken parts of Al's body to see if he could move, but nothing happened, "Alphonse Elric, talk to me!" but there was no reply, Alphonse Elric...was dead.

Sora took a moment to morn his friend, "You believed me, you always believed me. I-I was the one who...who should have been killed, not you...AAAALLPHOOONSE!" Sora wiped his tears away and took up the Avenger, "I'll make it up to you Al, I promise." But as soon as he finished, a hard blow on the head rendered him unconscious. Rose was the one who brought him down, using a stone, she knocked him down.

Rose was about to drag Sora to Cornello when suddenly, she saw Alphonse's broken form, "I'm sorry...both of you. I am so (sob), so...sorry." she came over to Al, and fell down in tears, she was still loyal to Cornello, but she was starting to regret it...she knew now, the lives of her friends were not worth sacrificing...she wanted answers.

End of Chapter 7

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**Next Chapter: The fall of a tyrant, the rise of a new one...**

**Please Comment.  
**


	8. Chapter 8

**Last time: The Elrics actually came to Lior to take Cornello's Philosopher Stone, hoping to use it's power to restore their bodies, but the fake prophet wasn't going to give them the oportunity. As Cornello shot at The Elrics and Sora, a mysterious, small, hooded figure arrived and saved them. The small stranger then gave Sora a keychain, calling it the 'Key' to mankind's fate. After the stranger left, Sora, Edward, and Alphonse were chased away by Cornello's men.  
**

**Rose, who was on Cornello's side, was told by the Elrics and Sora that Cornello was a liar and a thief, using alchemy and calling it his miracles. To convince Rose to stay by his side, Cornello revealed to her that with the Philosopher Stone, he was able to bring part of Cain back, but informs her that he still needed some time to finish up before he could truly be restored.**

**In the streets, the townspeople were on the lookout for the Elrics and Sora, who was persuaded by Al to run. Never the type to leave his friends behind, Sora decided to go back to them, only to find Ed taken away, and Al smashed into pieces by living statues made by Cornello. Enraged, Sora attacked the statues, but he was easily overpowered, until the keychain he was given started to react. The key started to bond with Sora's dagger, the Avenger, and when it fused with the dagger, it changed into a strangely shaped "Keyblade". Using it, Sora was able to defeat the living statues. But then, he was knocked unconscious by Rose, who wept when she saw what remained of Al's body...  
**

**Warning: Kingdom Hearts and Fullmetal Alchemist are both licensed by Square-Enix. The secondary licenses for both franchises are Disney (Kingdom Hearts), Aniplex, Bones Inc., and Funimation (Fullmetal Alchemist). **

**PS: There will be spoilers.**

* * *

Fullmetal Kingdom: The Fanfic

Chapter 8: Conflicting Reasons

Inside the Temple of Leto, Edward was dragged in by Cornello's followers and was then brought before Cornello himself. Cornello smiled, "So tell me...was it worth it? Was it worth trying to run? Because of your selfish choice, your brother is dead." Ed gritted his teeth, "Bastard!" then he heard the door open behind him, and through it, came more followers, with Sora in their grasp.

Sora was brought next to Edward, who was disappointed at how Sora still managed to get caught. Sora started to regain consciousness, and in front of him, was Cornello, Sora started to shake, "...murderer..." Cornello replied, "It's no use getting angry. If you should be angry at anybody, it should be the one who told you to run, Alphonse Elric. You could have stayed and saved the Elrics, dying a glorious death. Instead, you ran away, allowing God to take away a good friend of yours. Pity, I always thought you'd die first-." Sora stood up in anger, "YOU MONSTER!"

Cornello orders to his men, "Take his weapons!" The followers frisked Sora, taking every last piece of weaponry he had, including the Avenger. After the followers finished, Sora was kicked back down, then the followers asked Cornello, "What of the Fullmetal?" Cornello bent over and looked at Ed's pocket, it held a pocket watch with the State's emblem on it, "This is all he has, so..." Cornello pulled the watch out of Edward's pocket, breaking the chain that kept it close to him, "HEY! Give that back!"

Cornello was then given Sora's Key shaped Avenger while looking at Ed's pocket watch, "So this is the infamous Pocket Watch from the military. I see, you used this to amplify your alchemy. You must have changed this brat's dagger into a 'key-blade' as well, so I think you two will be quite harmless without these." As Cornello laughed, Edward looked down, but hid a cunning grin...

The next morning, as the sun rose, a bell keeper was preparing to ring the city bell, "(yawn) How could I sleep after last night? It's so ridiculous." The bell keeper gripped the rope to start the ringing chime of the bell, but as he pulled, it felt loose, he quickly looked up and gasped at what he saw...nothing! "Where's the...bell?"

As the morning came, Sora woke up, kept inside a prison cell. He got up and noticed Edward sleeping like a baby while his hands were chained to the wall, to prevent Ed from performing alchemy. Sora took a deep breath and leaned on the wall, waiting for 'Sleeping Puny' to awaken.

Meanwhile, in the Charnel House, the chamber where Sora and the Elrics fought Cornello's monsters, a group of Cornello's followers were cleaning the place up. Then, one of them noticed blood on the sand, one of the followers explained, "Father Cornello told us that there was a battle he had against the soldiers of the state, and that one of them was injured." The follower tried scrubbing the blood away, but just as he was about to scoop away the blood filled sand and put it into a bag, something happened...

"Hey, over here!" The follower said to his fellow cleaners. They rushed over and noticed a strange sight, the blood started to move. It started to slowly go around the followers who were watching, a follower felt nervous, "This can't be one of Father Cornello's miracles. We should tell him about-!" Suddenly, as the follower was about to leave the circle, the blood circle reacted and caught the follower before he could escape!

Instantly, the blood started changing black, and through the follower, came black veins, coming up and through his body, he screamed in agony, but the other followers would not dare touch him, fearing to be taken by the same strange thing that was causing the man to writhe in agony. He kept screaming until the black veins covered his entire body, the body was absorbed into the circle, which grew larger and larger, and then, the other followers were caught in the same situation! As they kept looking they saw most of their body parts eaten and torn off, only to be eaten as well!

During the devouring, the entire circle was actually changing into a large Transmutation Circle. The circle was almost finished, the last one called for help, "Guards! GUARDS! SOMEONE HELP US! GRAAAAAA-ch!" As soon as his life ended, the Transmutation Circle was complete, and it began to glow an ominous red light, mixed with violet and black.

The guards arrived inside the Charnel House to witness the Transmutation Circle's activation, Cray ran by them and looked around, "If anyone can hear me, we've come to answer your please for help!"

"Sorry...you just missed them."

The followers were shocked to hear the voice coming from the Transmutation Circle, Cray points a gun at it, "Demon, you are not welcome here!" The voice replied, "I beg to differ..." Suddenly, a large arm came out and grabbed Cray's arm, and then, "Erase." Cray was devoured by the black veins. His body turned to dust, and the other followers were scared stiff.

Then, the large arm brought with it, the rest of it's body, a large, black, muscular physique, a being who's entire body was clothed in black, red, and orange colored garments of the early 1800's, he wore a cloak with ruins, three belts worn around his shoulders to the opposite sides of his waist, a red, torn kerchief, that covered the top of his head, and he had long dark-grey hair. He had red striped, black gloves and Brown boots with more ruins on them.

And after his entire form came through, the creature pulled the Transmutation Circle off the ground, and slapped it on his empty face. "It's been said that I would be released after the blood of the Keyblade Master came on the sand I was buried in...lucky me." The figure removed his hand from his face and revealed his face covered by a mask with an X symbol covering a heart. He then opened his eyes to reveal his sky-blue pupils, looking at the guards. The guards attempted to flee, "Create!" but the entrance was quickly shut...by the shadow creatures, "Why are Cornello's Golems working against us?" The creature replied, "Because I was the one who made these Golems."

Back inside the cell, Sora suddenly noticed something moving in the shadows behind the bars, "Great, I guess Father 'Corny-jello' got tired of waiting to execute us." But as he kept looking, a Shadow didn't appear, instead, a strange hooded figure came out. Sora asked, "Who are you? Are you one of Cornello's followers?"

_**I came to see the door into this world. **_

Sora heard the hooded figure's voice inside his head, "H-how did you do that?" The figure continued, _**This world has been connected, tied to the darkness. Soon to be completely eclipsed.**_ Sora became annoyed, "Stop freaking me out! Using telepathy isn't helping any better either! So, where did you come from?" The figure replied, _**You do not yet know what lies beyond the door.**_ Sora asked, "Wait, are you...from another world?"

The figure didn't answer the question, instead, he mocks Sora, _**There is still very much to learn. You understand so little.**_ Sora clenched his fist, "Oh yeah? Well you'll see! I'll get out and learn what's out there!" The figure shook his head, _**A meaningless effort. One who knows nothing, can understand nothing. **_

Edward started to wake up, "Sora? Who are you yelling at?" Sora turned around, "Ed? What took you so long in waking up? I was talking to this-!" Suddenly, as Sora looked back, the hooded figure was gone. "Your starting to crack up, aren't you?" Sora turned back at Ed, "But it's the truth! I saw him, he was hooded, and he was talking in my head! He came from a shadow, like those creatures!"

"Those were Golems. Father Cornello's servants." Sora and Edward quickly turned around and saw a familiar face, it was Rose, who was bringing them food. Rose opened the gate, "Even Father Cornello isn't selfish enough to forget about his prisoners." Ed noticed the meals, "Great! You came to feed me! And here I thought you were mad." As Ed stuck his tongue out and opened wide, Rose just dropped the plate near him.

Sora was still confused as to how Ed can be so calm, his brother was killed by the same people Rose was working with. Rose didn't make eye contact with Sora, but she still handed him his meal, Sora asked, "Giving us our just deserts seems to be your specialty these days. Tell me, was justice served when you're priest killed Alphonse?" Ed tried to calm Sora down, "Quit it Sora, getting angry doesn't help anyone." Sora got furious, "Oh, that's helpful advice coming from someone who doesn't care about his younger brother getting killed!" Ed was enraged, "Mind your own business! I cared about him more than you can ever know!"

Rose couldn't take their arguing any more, "JUST STOP IT!" The two stopped fighting and looked at Rose, she wept tears and said, "I never wanted him to die! I cared about him, and the two of you! But when you attacked Father Cornello..." Rose shook her head and looked at Edward, "SOME THINGS CAN'T BE EXPLAINED BY ALCHEMY!" Rose then took Sora's hand, "It's real Sora, I promise you, Father Cornello's magic is real! Come with me and I'll prove it to you! If there's a chance that he could bring Cain back, then perhaps he can do the same for Al, please believe me!" Sora still felt angry at Rose for betraying him, but when he saw her eyes filling with water, he started feeling sorry for her.

He looked her in the eye, "Hey...look, if seeing your proof can stop your crying, then...then I'll go with you. Just please, don't cry anymore, alright?" Rose wiped her tears away and smiled at Sora, "Thank you, thank you so much." Rose then opened the cell door and took Sora's hand, "We have to be quiet, no one knows that I'm here." Sora was startled, "W-what? Than you came on your own?" Rose replied, It's hard to explain, but I want to find the answers to my questions as well."

Ed called out, "HEY, WHAT ABOUT ME?" Then the cell door was closed. Edward became enraged, "Sora, you had better come back." Sora replied, "I might." Ed was ticked off, "WHADDYAMEAN YOU MIGHT?" As Sora and Rose left, Ed couldn't help but hear something coming from the ground behind him. As the digging sound came closer, Ed started to smile...

Meanwhile, inside his bedroom, Cornello was having a nightmare, "GYAAAAAH!" Cornello woke up in time, "Hello 'Father', I trust you had a good sleep?" Cornello was surprised to see Lust in his room, "Oh, what is it now?" Gluttony came inside the room through the window, "Tattle Tail, Tattle Tail!" Lust smiled, "Indeed he is Gluttony." Lust walked toward Cornello, "He gave away information about the Philosopher Stone. Such a naughty thing to do. How could you be so careless?" Cornello jumps out of bed and stepped away, "It was the Fullmetal, he found out somehow, you can't blame me for that!"

Lust pointed her finger at him, "Oh yes we can...you could have said, 'I don't know anything about it', but instead, you let your ego get in the way of your judgment, and what's worse, the girl you lied to now knows as well. The real secret behind the Philosopher Stone stays between us..." And slowly, her finger started to extend, the spear-like finger then poked Cornello on the throat, "Right love?" Cornello nodded his head, "R-right, I'll take care of it."

Elsewhere in the temple, Rose guides Sora through the hallway, Sora asked, "So, is Cain really back?" Rose replied, "It sounded like Cain, it had to be him. But Edward's words, I'm starting to wonder whether or not they're true." Sora remembered, "You mean what he said about Human Transmutation taking you apart? Well, it's hard to question, but there's only one way to find the answer...Father Cornello. When you saw him, was he missing an arm, or a leg? There had to be a reason he was using a cain, right?" Rose stopped at a door and then looked at Sora, "Nothing was missing, he was...normal." Sora gave a concerned look to Rose, "I don't like where this is going."

Rose then opens the door, "Cain, I'm back." As she went inside, Sora followed. Inside the room was a large bed, with large curtains covering the bed, so not even Rose could see Cain. Rose came a bit closer, "I'm sorry if I disturbed you Cain, I know your healing. It's just...I need to talk to you. I have so many questions, so much has happened and I've become confused."

Sora noticed a strange person coming out of the bed, "R-Rose..." Rose smiled while Sora noticed feathers on the ground. Then suddenly, he saw through a part of the bed's curtains, he saw two dead birds! Sora took Rose's hand, "Get me back into my cell, quickly!" Rose was confused, "But Sora, why? The proof is right in front of you, Father Cornello's magic is real." Sora replied, "Just hurry, we can't be caught. If Cornello and his men find us-"

Rose tried to calm Sora down, "But Sora, Father Cornello said that I was aloud to bring you here, to see Cain and believe in his miracles!" Sora stopped panicking and decided to tell her the truth, "Rose, it's...not a miracle. That person over there has two-!" But before Sora could finish, the door behind them opened, and standing in the way of the exit, was Cornello.

Rose apologized to Cornello, "I'm sorry Father, I wanted to prove your miracles worked, so I brought Sora to see..." Rose was a bit startled by Cornello's grin, showing that he had something sinister in mind. But then, a gust of wind came through the windows, blowing the bed curtains open to reveal Cain, as Sora and Rose looked, they were shocked to know that it wasn't Cain at all, but a large, disgusting bird-like humanoid. Cornello asked, "What's wrong Rose? You've got your wish. I'm afraid that the Stone wasn't powerful enough to forge a human soul, so I had to use the souls of these birds. They can be quite adapt in mimicking the human voice." They then noticed countless dead birds on the bed near the bird monster.

Sora confronted Cornello, "You lied to her! She was loyal to you and you lied to her! Making up this chimera into fooling Rose even more? How could you?" Cornello replied, "Because she was the most gullible, she was in fact the first person who believed me when I said that I was a prophet. You were always such a good girl Rose." Rose was startled when she heard this, "F-Father Cornello?"

Then Cornello raised his ring hand, "You shouldn't have acted against me Rose, you've fallen out of the Sun God's favor." Sora stood in the way, "DON'T YOU TOUCH HER! I won't let you kill another friend!" Cornello replied, "Well actually, I'm not going to kill you, but 'Cain' will." Cornello's ring shined, and then, the Bird Chimera jumped out of the bed and slowly crawled toward it's targets.

Sora puts Rose behind him, making sure that she wouldn't get hurt, while Cornello left while closing the door and locking it, "Give the real king my best." As Cornello left, the chimera kept saying Rose's name mindlessly, while coming closer to her. It then lets out a shriek and then swiftly jumps at Sora and Rose, planning to eat them both! Rose ducked and closed her eyes.

Suddenly, before the Chimera could attack Sora, a large figure came out of the window and threw a blade at the Chimera's back! "Sora, take the Keyblade!" Sora complied with the voice and ran around the chimera, "It's not a Keyblade..." he then pulls the sword out of the chimera's back, "IT'S MY AVENGER!" The beast shrieks again, then the large figure pounds it to the ground!

Rose looked back up, and in her amazement, as well as Sora's, was Alphonse Elric, standing victorious over the twitching monstrosity. Al then looked at them and said, "I guess I don't need to tell you two it's dangerous here. Come on!"

End of Chapter 8

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**Next Chapter: Cornello reveals his evil plot.**

**Please Comment.  
**


	9. Chapter 9

**Last time: Cornello succeeds in capturing Edward and Sora and taking Sora's Avenger dagger (which was changed mysteriously into a key-blade) and Ed's Military Pocket Watch, which Cornello believed to be the source of Edward's alchemic talent. Inside their cell, Sora and Ed waited for their fate, when out of the shadows, appears a strange man cloaked in darkness. Sora learned that this strange figure might not be from their world, but before he could learn anymore, the strange man disappeared.**

**Rose arrived inside of Sora and Ed's cell to give them food, but instead, she takes Sora out of the cell to show him that Cornello's miracles CAN resurrect the dead. Rose takes him into a bedroom, where Cain was resting from being brought back from the dead. But then, it was revealed by Cornello that Cain was never resurrected, in fact, what Rose thought was Cain, was actually a monstrous bird-like Chimera!**

**Cornello commands the Chimera to kill Rose and Sora while he goes over to Edward's cell to kill him before he tells anyone else about the Philosopher Stone in his ring. But just before the Chimera could attack, Alphonse arrived and saved the two by returning Sora's weapon, using his Avenger, Sora kills the monster and the three escape.**

**Meanwhile, a sinister presence was summoned, devouring Cornello's followers one by one with the help of it's creations...the Golems!  
**

**Warning: Kingdom Hearts and Fullmetal Alchemist are both licensed by Square-Enix. The secondary licenses for both franchises are Disney (Kingdom Hearts), Aniplex, Bones Inc., and Funimation (Fullmetal Alchemist). **

**PS: There will be spoilers.**

* * *

Fullmetal Kingdom: The Fanfic

Chapter 9: Cornello Exposed

The Central City Train Station had a train ready to go to Lior, where a certain flowergirl and a friendly blond Ishbalin were bidding good luck to Donald and Goofy. Aeris reached into her flower basket and gave Donald two Elixirs, "You'll be heading for a city in the dessert, so I decided to get you two some soft drinks."

Goofy looked at the Elixir drinks, "Gwarsh! Orange and Root Beer? Thank you Aeris." Donald nodded, "Y-yeah, thank you. Don't worry, we'll bring the Keyblade Master." Rin bows, "I wish you luck my friends, and be careful, even showing your feathers can arouse suspicion." Goofy waves, "We'll be A-OK Rin, see you later!"

The two Genomes boarded the train and waved good bye to their new friends, while Goofy waved, Donald thought about the conversation that he and Goofy had with Aeris...

Yesterday, Aeris was about to discuss an important issue with Donald and Goofy, "The one your searching for, Mickey, has met with us and informed us about the situation. My name is Aeris, and your president asked me to speak with you on his behalf."

Donald asked, "Well, what did he say?" Aeris replied, "Well, the president of your country has reason to believe that the new Keybearer is somewhere in Lior. The chosen one is there because he was sent from an organization of young and lethal assassins called Y. O. U. T. H., which have ties to the military." Donald jumped in excitement, "The military?" Goofy was terrified as well, "You mean President Mickey is after an assassin as the next wielder of the Key?"

Donald bit his fingers in fear, "That's insane! The kid he's looking for is a lackey of the very people who use our kind for war!" Aeris calmed Donald down, "There's no need to be scared Donald. The president must have a reason." "I sure hope so, it was said that the wielder of the Key has to have an honest and pure heart of courage and love. I'm not sure if an assassin has any of those qualities." Goofy said.

Donald stands up, "Well it's settled, we can't sit here and wait for the President when he's out there possibly getting eaten by a pack of cats! Goofy, we're heading for Lior! We'll find Mickey, the supposed new Keybearer, and find a way to save our world!" Suddenly, Rin came back through the door, "Aeris, I've just informed Sqaull. He said that he'll keep an eye out for the chosen one." Aeris smiled and shook her head, "Rin, his name is Leon, remember?" Rin rubbed his head in embarrassment, "S-sorry, he said that to me too."

Aeris stood up and waved at Rin, "There's nothing to be sorry about, it happens to him all the time." She turns back at Donald and Goofy, "Anyway, I wanted to ask you something, do you mind?" The two Genomes were confused, they looked at each other and then looked at her and nod, signifying that they wouldn't mind the question. Aeris then continued, "Thank you. Now...have you heard of someone named Ansem?"

Donald and Goofy shook their heads, Donald asked, "Who's he?" Aeris answered, "He was a wiseman who led us and protected us. He was also a brilliant scientist who studied the workings of the heart. I heard once that he was close to a breakthrough, that their was a possible connection with alchemy and the heart, but before he could go through with it, he disappeared."

Goofy scratched his head in curiosity, "Gwarsh, I could never have imagined a connection with alchemy and the heart." Aeris replied, "He kept his note hidden so that no one with evil intent can use them." Donald then told her, "Well, if we find him, we'll let you know." Aeris shakes Donald's hand in gratitude, "Thank you Donald, it would be a great help to us if you found him." Donald smiled, "Uhh, yeah, I won't let you down."

After the flashback, Donald and Goofy were currently seen still in the train. Goofy's stomach started to ache, "So Donald, can we have those Elixirs that Aeris gave us?" Donald shook his head, "No Goofy, Lior's located in a dessert, and like Aeris said, we might need these." Goofy begged, "But Donald, I didn't get to eat any food before we left!" Donald backed away, "You had plenty of those stupid beans with you, why not have a few instead of drooling over the Elixirs!" Goofy twiddled his fingers, "I gave them to Rin as a 'thank you' present."

As Donald and Goofy were chattering about the Elixirs, back in Lior, Sora was just explaining about Y. O. U. T. H. to Rose and Alphonse...

"Young Orphans with Unnatural Talent in Hunting, Y. O. U. T. H. It was an orphanage founded by an alchemist who wanted to give orphans a place to call home. However, the children were not treated as humble as they'd hoped, they were trained to be lethal warriors. Day after day, the children were taught to fight using different skills and weapons, including guns, spears, anything that could make the target stop twitching. After a few years, the alchemist turned his Orphanage to the military. They made proper use of our abilities and sent us in faraway places to hunt, and kill our target...mercilessly. Strangely though-." Alphonse interrupted, "Please Sora, I'm trying to concentrate!"

Sora stopped talking while Alphonse was busy preparing a machine he was constructing. The machine consists of the stolen Bell, a few speakers, and a radio set. Rose asked, "Alphonse, what are you making?" Al replied, "I'm making a speaker loud enough for everyone in Lior to listen." After performing some alchemy to keep the bell/speaker in place, Al turned toward Sora, "Please keep telling your story Sora, it's actually quite interesting."

Sora rubbed his head, "Well, alright. If you want me to, then OK." Sora sat down and continued, "Strangely though, I've noticed that after a test of swords at the age of 13, the children who won were never seen after that. I'm 14 years old, and I haven't gone through the test because I was sick on the day the test took place. For that, I was kept with the other rejects, teenagers who were lucky enough to survive the test. Most of them, however, were kept in the Orphanage because they were still strong enough to carry out their job as assassins. But I...well, you know."

Alphonse pats Sora on the shoulder, "You shouldn't let thoughts like that hurt you Sora. You're good the way you are, OK?" Sora smiled, "I know, I know, have faith, right?" Sora then stood up and came over to Rose, "To think, I thought Alphonse was dead. I guess I owe a certain 'small fry' an apology." Rose replied, "We all thought he was gone, but here he is, this is truly what a real miracle can be. But, Father Cornello...his miracles, I just don't understand how they could look like magic and yet..."

Alphonse then came up with an idea, "Rose, would you like me to tell you about Equivalent Exchange?" Rose looked up and asked, "Equivalent Exchange?" Alphonse continues, "You see Rose, many humans have special abilities, like swimming, running, and even out smarting their enemy in battle, but one of the most exciting abilities that humanity had was alchemy..."

Meanwhile, Cornello makes his way to the prison cell, where Edward was being kept. He came inside the cell, and Edward asked, "Well, if it isn't the 'power hungry' prophet. What do you want?" Cornello smiled, "It's noting important, just your execution!" Ed laughed, "Oh goody." Cornello replied, "There's no need to feel discourage, your the only soul left who knows the secret of the stone, but not for long."

Edward looked around, "No one's listening right?" Cornello gave a confused look, then he looked behind him to check, "None that I know of, what about it?" Edward explained, "I have a question for you. Would you like to hear it?" Cornello closed the cell door, "Ask your question." Ed asked, "Those soldiers, you killed them because they were given the same orders that I was given, right? To inspect Lior and see what you were up to."

Cornello crossed his arms, "It was a disappointment, they were too close, I had no other choice but to make them depart for the next world." Ed continued, "And your follower? Why'd you kill him?" Cornello answered, "He was unfortunate, he believed in my miracles, but as soon as he heard about the stone, well, you can't make a false religion when there's proof of a false priest, can you?"

Ed shook his head, "I guess not, but you'd better be careful. This little charade of yours will be found out soon enough." Cornello smiled, "The faithful are not likely to distinguish between alchemy and the work of God. Really, as long as I'm bringing happiness to them what do they care where it comes from?" Ed grinned, "Right, so what's in it for you? Besides all the cow towing, why perform those phony miracles?" Cornello explained, "...Because with each miracle I perform, I can attract more believers into my order, believers who would lay down their lives for my sake!"

Elsewhere, atop a building, Alphonse continued his story, "You see Rose, it's alchemy's greatest principle. To obtain one thing, you have to give up something of equal value. People say Ed's a prodigy, but that's just because he paid with enough effort." Sora asked, "Nice explanation, but I still want to know how you survived those statues." Alphonse replied, "It's easy really, Ed thought up the whole thing."

Rose felt sorry for the sweet little boy trapped in armor, so she came toward him and spoke to him, "The two of you have paid a hefty price, haven't you? An arm, a leg, even a body, and here you are trying to bring them back. But...what about your mom? What became of her?" Alphonse couldn't reply, "I should get started. It's about to begin."

Alphonse presses a switch on the bell/speaker to activate it, and after a screeching sound, a voice was heard, "I have a question for you. Would you like to hear it?" Rose recognizes the voice, "Is that Edward?" then another voice was heard, "Ask your question." As the broadcast kept playing, Sora, Alphonse, and Rose listened to a conversation that revealed almost everything about Cornello's scheme...

Ed asked, "What, is it the money your after?" Cornello shook his head, "Oh, I can get all the money I want from the offerings. But you think too small, I'm making an army of holy warriors. And why not? They aren't afraid to die. They believe that I can resurrect them. So you see, there is no greater army than those with a holy call!" Cornello soon got carried away and turned around, "Mark my words, in a few years I can have a following of believers who could tear this country apart and recreate it IN MY IMAGE!"

As Cornello laughed, Ed sighs and said, "So what? It makes no difference to me. After all, there's no real way to bring people back from the dead, right? Once you cut me down, I'm gone for good." Cornello turns back at Ed, "Yes, I'm afraid that's right. Even with the Philosopher Stone, I would dare not use it's powers to resurrect the dead. I'd end up like you. And why would a king risk his own life for the sake of his mindless pawns?"

"W-wait a second!"

Cornello then noticed Ed eating some bread Rose left him with his own hands, he was free! Edward giggled a bit before revealing a secret behind him "I knew it, you really are a novice!". Behind him, was a microphone, the same one Cornello used for his broadcasts. Cornello was surprised to know that all this time, his conversation with Edward was heard all over town.

Cornello's voice was heard all across Lior, "WHAT?"

Back outside, the townspeople were paralyzed with stunned faces and unbelievably funny expressions. They kept listening, even when Cornello realized he was being punked, "H-how long has that thing been on?" Edward replied, "Long enough for the 'mindless pawns tearing this country apart' comment, I think." Cornello angrily asked, "How did you get a hold of my broadcasting equipment?" Ed answered, "Al rigged it up. I know, your statues smashed him to pieces, but that was just some metal I whipped up to look like him. Pretty clever huh?" Cornello panicked, "NO MY CHILDREN HE LIES! DON'T BELIEVE HIM!" And then, gunshots were heard through the broadcast...

Cornello was just finished destroying the microphone with his Gatling Gun/cain. Then he turned the gun towards Edward, "You'll pay dearly for this!" But Ed swiftly sliced through Cornello's gun, Cornello was shocked to see before him a blade on Edward's automail arm, "By the way, I don't get my skills from a pocket watch!" Edward then pointed his Transmuted Blade at Cornello, "Face it old man, your out-classed!" Cornello stepped back, "Y-you little...I AM WITHOUT RIVAL!" Then he started to run, trying to escape Edward.

Cornello ran through the temple, trying to find the exit, and in the meantime, calling out to his followers, "Children of God! I need to be rescued! A hieratic has impersonated me and is currently after my life!" Cornello then noticed a few followers coming toward him, Cornello smiled, but was surprised to see them get devoured by his Golems. Swallowing them whole, they then notice Cornello, and start coming up towards him. Cornello stepped back and used his ring, "STOP! I found you freaks here, and you will obey me! UNDERSTAND?"

The Golems then stopped before they could touch Cornello, realizing that Cornello had the Philosopher Stone with him. Then Edward was seen running towards him, Cornello then gave the Golems an order, "Seize him my pets! Devour him!" The Golems complied with the order and headed straight for Ed. Edward soon saw the little shadow creatures heading right for him, he then clapped his hands together and then, as soon as the Golems lounged at him, Edward pressed his hands on a group of Shadows and tore them to pieces.

After he was done with the Golems, Edward then noticed that Cornello was already gone. "Damn, for a fat faker, he sure knows when to pick his moments." Edward then kept running after Cornello, along the way, he noticed followers getting eaten by Golems. Everywhere he looked, Cornello's faithful followers were being eaten, devoured, and even swallowed whole.

As Ed ran through the halls, he was stopped by a strange and very muscular figure wearing a mask. Edward stepped back, pointing his Transmuted Blade at him, the figure gave an amused look at Edward, "Aren't you a little young to be picking fights with strangers?" Ed asked, "Who are you? Are you one of those Leto followers?"

The mysterious figure replied, "Since when does Crimson worship a false god?" Ed was startled, "Crimson?" Crimson then continued talking, "You've just met a real God and the sad thing is you don't even know it. You're quite lucky to have met me and lived, boy. I have a feeling that someday, our paths will cross again...But be warned, you are not the only one who desires the Philosopher Stone..." Ed asked, "Wait, how did you-?" Before Ed could finish his question, Crimson vanished, leaving Edward to shake off his strange encounter and continue chasing the fake prophet.

End of Chapter 9

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**Next Chapter: Sora and Edward vs Cornello!**

**Please Comment.  
**


	10. Chapter 10

**Last time, Donald & Goofy befriend a merchant and entrepreneur named Rin, who runs a travel agency, and a flower girl named Aeris, who has been looking for research notes hidden by Ansem the Wise, a wiseman who was researching the mysterious connection between the heart and alchemy. Aeris informs Donald and Goofy about the current keybearer's location, as well as the president's location...Lior.**

**Back in Lior, Sora told Alphonse and Rose about his life as a Y. O. U. T. H. operative, and how the Orphanage was founded by and sold to the military by an alchemist who trained the children into becoming lethal "Weapons". At the age of 13, the orphans take a test of swordsmanship, strangely enough, the ones who pass the test are never seen again. Sora couldn't take the test that day since he was having a fever, ever since he missed the test, he was mistreated by the doctors and scientists, even when he turned 14. Alphonse then tells Sora and Rose about Equivalent Exchange, a very famous and important principle, the legendary "Law of Alchemy", if you wish to obtain, than something of equal value should be lost. Rose asked if since the Elrics sacrificed some of their human parts, if they succeeded in restoring their mother back to life, but Alphonse couldn't answer...**

**Meanwhile, inside the Temple of Leto, Ed got Cornello to reveal his plans. Using the Philosopher Stone, he plans on making an empire out of his phony religion and the followers who were blinded by his lies. But as he spoke, Ed revealed that his entire confession was broadcast through the town, courtesy of Al's man made speaker. Edward then breaks free from the prison and chases after Cornello, hoping to take the stone from him. **

**Suddenly, Ed encountered a large and dark figure, who called himself Crimson. The mysterious figure then warns Edward that he is not the only one who sought the stone. Before Ed could get more answers, Crimson disappeared, leaving a confused state alchemist to ignore the startling encounter and continue his chasing of the false prophet...**

**Warning: Kingdom Hearts and Fullmetal Alchemist are both licensed by Square-Enix. The secondary licenses for both franchises are Disney (Kingdom Hearts), Aniplex, Bones Inc., and Funimation (Fullmetal Alchemist). **

**PS: There will be spoilers.**

* * *

Fullmetal Kingdom: The Fanfic

Chapter 10: Move Forward

Cornello rushes into the altar, and makes for the door out. As he pushed it open, outside, waiting for him, was an angry mob of townspeople! Almost every person who lived in Lior was there, with pitchforks, bats, and angry faces, "So all those miracles were lies?" "We believed in you, how could you?" "You made fools of us for the last time!" But it wasn't just the townspeople, some of the followers were confused about Cornello's words, "Father...is this true?" "I don't understand father, what's going on?" "It was alchemy all along? But why Father Cornello? Why?"

Cornello was frozen in fear, his tricks were revealed, and everyone was against him. He couldn't explain himself, so he decided to to with a different explanation, "My children, the non-believer has used his science to impersonate me! It is a conspiracy by the devil himself! But witness as Leto redeems me with this vengeful light! BEHOLD, GOD'S POWER!"

As Cornello raised his ring hand, he performed another alchemic miracle by bringing 4 statues to life. They slowly walk to Cornello's side, and to make sure the townspeople would take his side, he transmuted a nearby statue into a crystal vine with two large, red, ruby roses coming from the ends of the branches. The townspeople were starting to have their doubts, and it seemed like Cornello won, until Edward arrived, "I'm warning you, give it up!"

Cornello smiled and turned towards Ed, "You didn't fool me with that little display down there." he then reached into his pocket and pulled out Ed's pocket watch, "Without your precious watch, the only thing you could transmute was your metal arm!" Cornello then threw the pocket watch across the sky, and over the gateway to his temple. Ed just smiled, "Hey, nice toss, but you know what, your not the only one who can't stand doubters preach!"

Ed then transmutes a spear, to Cornello's surprise, and chucks it at him. However, it missed him, then Cornello laughed, "HA, you need to work on your aim!" Cornello then rushes toward the spear, "No mater what tricks you pull out of your sleeve, you will never get the stone, NEVER!" Cornello then uses his ring hand to transform the spear close to him into another gun. But suddenly, as he did, his hand was melded and mutated! His entire arm was turned into a pulsing mechanical mess.

"RRRAAAAAAAAAAGH!"

Cornello screamed out in pain, Ed was just as confused as Cornello, "A-a recoil? But why? The Philosopher Stone was supposed to be flawless!" And then, behind Cornello, Sora, Rose, and Al came rushing towards Ed, "Edward, you little JERK!" Sora knocked Ed on the noggin, Ed asked, What was that for?" Sora replied, "That's for not letting me in on your plan! I THOUGHT AL WAS DEAD YOU DICK!" Ed pushed Sora, "WELL YOU DIDN'T ASK WHAT I WAS SMILING ABOUT, STUPID!"

Suddenly, Rose screamed, Sora and the Elric Bros. Turned around and saw Rose in the grip of Cornello, he threatened the heroes, "If you try and come near me...I'LL KILL HER!" Rose was terrified, "Father Cornello...don't do this!" Cornello replied, "SHUT UP ROSE! It's your fault they came, because of you, they ruined everything!" Suddenly, Sora's fist made contact with his face "LET HER GO!". While Rose was released, Cornello was sent flying, and then, falls face front on the ground.

As the townspeople gathered around Cornello, Sora came to Rose's side, "Are you alright?" Rose was in shock, "I-I'm alright." so Al told Sora, "I'll watch over her. In the meantime, you and Ed get the Stone away from Cornello." Ed pats Sora on the shoulder, "Let's go, we still need to ask him some questions about the Stone." Sora nods, and the two ran to Cornello...

Sora and Edward rush toward the townspeople who were surrounding Cornello, but suddenly, a burst of red light came from the center of the crowd! Cornello's voice was heard, "No, I won't be disgraced like this! **Now, behold...THE CHOSEN EMISSARY OF THE SUN GOD LETO!**" Just then, a large creature emerged from the crowd of townspeople, and blew them away!

The townspeople were convinced, Father Cornello was a liar, a cheat, and now, a monster! Knowing that they were no match, they ran away from Cornello and his temple. Cornello was now 9 ½ Ft. tall, with red glowing eyes, a large mechanical arm with spear-like fingers and a large cannon. Sora asked, "Edward, is it just me or is 'Fat-Man' Cornello as stubborn as you?" Ed smiled, "Yep, that jackass thinks he's so tough. What an idiot!" Cornello looked at them, "**You're all laughing at me again? YOU'RE ALWAYS LAUGHING AT ME!**"

Cornello reaches out to try and grab Sora and Ed, but they were too quick. Cornello then landed a strong punch at Sora, but Sora successfully caught it, "**Stupid boy, the Hammer of God cannot be stopped!**" Sora smiled, "No, but your fist is a different story!" Cornello was confused, but suddenly, a large fist came from the ground and hit him hard! Ed laughed, "Since when does the Emissary of God fall for tricks like that?" Cornello started to get irritated, "**SILENCE!**"

Cornello took the remaining statues he brought to life and threw them at Sora. As he tried to dodge the statues, one succeeded in hitting Sora, knocking him out. Cornello walks toward the unconscious bodyguard and attempts to crush him, "**My word is the divine word of God himself! MY FIST IS THE ALMIGHTY FIST OF JUDGMENT!**"

"Oh yeah? The Fist of God, huh? If that's what you want...THEN YOU CAN HAVE IT!"

Cornello turns and looks at Edward, who just used alchemy. Cornello looked around and saw nothing coming at him, "**HA, is this your way of scaring me with your alchemic tricks?**" Ed smiled, "Nope, I'm bringing out the REAL Hammer of God!" And then, a rumbling sound was heard from inside the Temple of Leto, and then, an explosion came from the Temple doors. Al gets Rose out of the way to let out whatever Ed summoned.

And then, there it was, the gigantic statue of Leto that was in the altar, walking out of the temple and towards Cornello, it's towering size frightened Cornello, "**I don't believe it! Not even the Philosopher Stone could move something that big!**" Al and Rose came to help Sora up, then Al said, "Rings and watches have nothing to do with it. My brother is the Fullmetal Alchemist!"

The giant statue then prepares a fist, and swings it right at Cornello. And with a successful blow, the great prophet was defeated, "**RRRRAAAAA**AAAAAAA!"

After the smoke cleared, Cornello is seen back to normal, back to his normal size, Cornello gathered his senses and saw before him, the triumphant heroes, Sora and Edward, Cornello stepped back, "N-no! I won't let you have it! You can't take the stone!" Ed then headbutts Cornello, "OH SHUT UP ALREADY!" Ed grabs Cronello's mutated arm and looks at the ring, but before he could take it, the Philosopher Stone shattered, and turned into dust.

Ed wasn't at all pleased, "What the hell? The stone...was an imitation? That's impossible, the stone's raw material! How could it just break like that?" Cornello answered, "I-I don't know, I don't know anything about it! Spare me, please! I was wrong, please don't hurt me, I beg you!" Ed's eyes started to twitch, he looked at Cornello and said, "You mean we went through all this, risked our lives for this one possible chance, and it's a fake?" Edward's fists then started to shake, "Hehehe, after all this, all the trouble you put me through, you, the miracles, EVEN THE STONE'S A FAKE? STOP JERKING ME AROUND!"

A nervous Cornello then asked, "So, uh, what about me?"

Ed gave a very simple answer...

**"I DON'T CARE WHAT YOU DO, JUST GET OUTTA HERE!"**

"AAAAAAAAAHHHH!" Cornello then makes a break for it, running scared while Sora, Al and Rose walk carefully away from the peeved little Elric...

Hours later, Ed was seen waiting with his bags packed and ready to leave Lior. He then noticed Alphonse running toward him with his bags packed as well. Alphonse asked, "Brother, are you alright?" Ed replied with a sigh, "It was a wild goose chase Al. I really thought we were close too." Al sits next to him, "I know Ed, but we have to be patient. We can't just expect things to just, well, fall into our laps." Ed smiled, "Yeah, you're right. We'll find the real Philosopher Stone, and when we do, you'll be back to normal." Al then said, "No brother, you'll be the one we fix first."

Ed then took a look around and asked, "Hey Al, what's taking the 'Palm Tree' so long?" Al felt a little depressed when Ed asked, so he looked back and said, "He's...saying good bye to Rose."

Back at the altar, Sora sat close to Rose, who was silent for a long time. Sora tried to talk to her, "I...came to say good bye. You see, I was given an assignment to protect Edward, but well, (chuckle) now that I think about it, I don't know why I was even needed, I mean, did you see the way Ed handled Cornello and his minions? Geez, he should be the bodyguard, huh?" Rose remained silent...

Sora felt a bit discouraged, so he tried again, "Did I do something to you? If so, can you please just tell me? Hey, Rose, come on!" Rose finally spoke out, "You should never have come..." Sora was surprised, "W-what do you mean by that?" Rose stood up and said, "Father Cornello gave us hope, what right did you have to take it away?"

Sora replied, "I didn't take anything! He was lying to you! Are you saying that it would have been better if he used you as a human shield?" Rose slapped Sora and replied, "If I didn't know about Father Cornello's secrets, I would have gladly died, knowing that in heaven, Cain would be waiting for me...but because of you and the Elrics, I'LL NEVER SEE HIM AGAIN!"

"Do you really think that?"

Sora and Rose saw at the entrance of the altar, Ed and Al, who apparently heard everything, Rose ran in front of the Elrics, "GET OUT, ALL OF YOU! YOU'VE TAKEN ENOUGH FROM US!" Sora then said, "That isn't fair Rose! Cornello lied to you, he planned on taking the country, sacrificing the people in Lior, and he didn't give a damn about what you wanted!"

Ed stopped Sora, "It's no use. She won't listen to reason." Rose became furious, "Reason? What kind of reason would you have to take away our hope? With Father Cornello, we really believed he could do anything, even bring back the dead! We're a dessert village, we had nothing before that!" Ed then asked, "You're saying that we should have just left everything the way it was?" Rose replied, "Why not?"

Sora then said, "Because the dead can't be brought back to life. Trust me Rose, I know-." Rose interrupted, "SHUT UP! Your a killer, a murderer! You could never understand what it means to lose someone you love! You act like there wasn't any other way, like you have to do the right thing! But what about us? You don't care!" Sora replied, "I care more about you than you think!"

Everyone looked at Sora, who was starting to blush, He then said to Rose, "You can hate me all you want, just know that I would never betray you! Even if I'm not around, you can still count on me to come whenever there's trouble. And for your information...I'm not a killer! I stopped taking lives a long time ago, and for that, I was teased and beaten. But I didn't hate them, I made my choice, and I plan to stay with it! And you could do the same thing Rose, you can make a choice! It all depends on what you can do right now."

Rose trembled and said, "But my choice WAS to see Cain again! What can I do now? What choice do I have left, now that I know Cain isn't coming back, it's pointless to keep going! I HAVE NOTHING NOW!" As Rose cried, Sora didn't know how to help, but then, Edward came up to her, "Like Sora said, it's your choice. I can't give you a reason to live, you have to figure it out on your own."

Rose looked at Edward, then Ed continued, "Stand up straight, walk on your own, and keep moving forward, just like we do." Edward stood up and walked away, but then stopped, and looked at a tear-filled Rose, "You've got some strong legs Rose...you should get up and use them. Because your strong enough to make your own choices."

Rose was filled with feelings of confusion. As Ed left, Sora looked at Rose, helped her up, then left, but Al didn't leave, instead, he came to her and explained, "Brother isn't trying to be mean, he just doesn't know how to handle some things." Rose looked away, "Would you just go away." Alphonse then said,

"You can still believe in hope Rose. I still do..."

Meanwhile, inside the Temple, Cornello was in his office, still feeling the pain coursing through his arm, "RRRRRGH, What's going on here? That damn boy was right! The Philosopher Stone those people gave me was a fake!" Suddenly, a voice was heard, "Of coarse it was." Cornello looked and saw Lust standing with Gluttony, "You were using the bait so well too. In time, rumors will spread to alchemists everywhere about you holding the stone, and then..."

Cornello asked, "Cursed souls, who are you really? What is it your after?" Gluttony asked, "Come on Lust, isn't it time you let me eat the old preacher?" Lust then replies, "I don't know Gluttony, the old fart could give you indigestion." Cornello was infuriated, "YOU'RE MOCKING ME NOW TOO? I WON'T STAND F-!" Before Cornello could finish, he was already dead, as Lust finished him by piercing his head. Lust smiled, "Well, I'd say this concludes our business."

Lust turned away and looked disappointed, "Just when things were starting to progress, I knew that ego would be too much for that empty head of yours. Mother and Father won't like this one bit, but no matter. Everything is going according to plan." Gluttony then licks his chops and comes toward Cornello's body, "(licks chops) Ahh...(chomp)"

Moments later, Rose steps out of the Temple of Leto, remembering what Alphonse told her...

_Before we go Rose, please listen to me. My brother and I have seen all sorts of things over our years of searching, and I need to tell you about them, so you don't repeat our mistakes._

_We were born and raised in a small village, East of Central, named Rissembool. That's where it all began..._

_Human kind cannot gain anything, without first giving something in return. To obtain, something of equal value must be lost, that is alchemy's first law of Equivalent Exchange._

_In those days, we really believed that to be the world's one and only truth..._

A few hours later, Donald and Goofy came to Lior, Donald came up to a citizen and asked, "Hey, did you see some kid with spiky hair?" The citizen replied, "Yeah, they left." Donald was shocked, "WHAT? Whaddya mean 'they left'?" The citizen explained, "I MEAN they left our town, our dessert, and our fudge'n train station! They left Ducky." Donald got PO'd, "AWW, SON OF A-!"

End of Chapter 10 and the Lior Arc

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**Next Chapter: A fateful night pits Sora against an unlikely enemy...**

**Please Comment.  
**


	11. Chapter 11

**Last time, Sora was handpicked from his home, the Y. O. U. T. H. Orphanage, where orphans become assassins, by the military, who needed his skills to protect Edward Elric, the Fullmetal Alchemist. Edward and his younger brother, Alphonse arrive in Lior to find clues about the recent murders of their fellow soldiers and a young follower. Sora arrives in Lior to offer his services to Edward, but he suspects Edward is looking for something.**

**Sora befriends an Ishbalin girl named Rose, who has lost her boyfriend Cain to death itself. The prophet of Leto, Cornello tells her that he can bring Cain back, but only if she helps him spread the word of God to everyone in Lior. Sora's suspicion of Edward proved right, as the young State Alchemist sought out Cornello's ring, which held the Philosopher Stone within it. Cornello then revealed himself not as an actual prophet, but as a wily schemer, who was plotting to use the stone's alchemic power to "Tear the country apart" and rebuild it in his own image. **

**Knowing the truth, Edward and Alphonse exposed Cornello for the trickster he was through a broadcast, and the people of Lior were furious at the fake prophet. However, the defeat of Cornello brought out the anger of Rose, who was blinded by his words. She cast Sora out, blaming him for destroying her hope of seeing Cain again, even in death. As Ed told Rose to move forward, so did they leave Lior, hoping that in time, Rose will be able to find her hope again.**

**But as the Lior Arc ends, the Traverse Arc began. For behind the secrets, there were two three forces at work, a resurrected evil named Crimson, two demonic humanoid creatures, Lust & Gluttony, and a "dark stranger" who was about to make his move...**

**Warning: Final Fantasy, Kingdom Hearts and Fullmetal Alchemist are both licensed by Square-Enix. The secondary licenses for both franchises are Disney (Kingdom Hearts), Aniplex, Bones Inc., and Funimation (Fullmetal Alchemist). **

**PS: There will be spoilers.**

* * *

Fullmetal Kingdom: The Fanfic

Chapter 11: Night of Fate

At the Y. O. U. T. H. Orphanage in Destiny Islands, Cid was sitting on his desk, tapping his bills with his pen. It was a boring morning, one that Cid wished would end. Just then, he heard someone coming through the entrance. Cid stood up and walked out of his office to greet the customer, a hooded man, who's face couldn't be seen.

Cid spoke first, "Hello, and welcome to my orphanage. How may I be of service?" the customer replied, "Professor Cidolfus Demen Bunansa, I would like to see your weapons." Cid clapped in excitement, "Oh, another one? Excellent! Is this an order from the state?" the customer replied, "You'd be surprised."

Inside the Orphanage, No. 307, Riku, was talking on the phone with Sora, formerly No. 516, "You exposed WHAT?" Sora replied, "We exposed a priest named Cornello for using the townspeople of Lior for war and profit. You should have been there Riku, there were monsters, traps, and get this, this is the best part...walking statues!" Riku's eyes widened, "Walking statues? That's awesome! So, besides that, how did you do in protecting your target?"

Sora explained, "Funny thing is, my target was the one who protected ME, they keep saying that I did a great job, but honestly, I was caught off guard, knocked out, and nearly squashed by an over sized monster! But all in all, it was an exciting mission. No wonder you guys are always on these missions, they're just so much fun!" Riku replied, "Sora...you did a great job, but you have to understand, these missions aren't fun, they're dangerous. There are even times when you have to kill the enemy. Speaking of which, how are you doing with your oath to never kill?"

Sora replied, "...I had to use the Avenger to defend myself, however, not a single enemy was killed, I can promise you that." Riku smiled and said, "I'm proud of you Sora. I know it's hard, but you can do it. Keep that promise for as long as you can, then maybe...it'll go away." Sora sighed, "...maybe." Then, Edward called out to Sora, "HEY PINE CONE HEAD! THE TRAIN'S LEAVING, LET'S GO!" Sora panicked and said to Riku, "Crap! The train's leaving! I'll tell you the rest later! Bye!"

As Riku heard Sora hang up, he put the phone away, he then pulled out the charm that Sora gave him, "See you soon pal. Hmph, better tell the others-." But before he could, someone reached over his shoulder and whispered...

_**The door has opened Riku. It is time to awaken.**_

On the train to Central, Sora sat alone, looking out at the sunrise. Sora thought to himself, _I did it, I succeeded in my first mission! I can't wait to tell the others..._

**SHUT UP! Your a killer, a murderer!**

_...Yeah, I can't wait..._

**You could never understand what it means to lose someone you love!**

_...They'll all congratulate me, and..._

**You act like there wasn't any other way, like you have to do the right thing! But what about us? **

_...and...I'll leave like the rest of them..._

**You don't care!**

_...and never return to them..._

**Because of you and the Elrics, I'LL NEVER SEE HIM AGAIN!**

"DAMN IT!" Rose's words were burning into Sora's mind, Ed and Al notice Sora's burst of anger, so Ed asked, "He's not taking the breakup well." Al smacked Ed on the head, "BROTHER! You know better than to say that! Now go over there and apologize." Ed replies, "YEEEAAAHHH, Al, the thing is, despite being our human shield, Sora and I don't like each other." Al glares at him, "Brother, he's our friend...go...talk...to him...NOW." Ed looks over to a moping Sora, "(sigh) Alright, but if he starts crying 'ROSE WHY, WHY, BOO HOO', then I'm done, deal?" Al shakes Ed's hand, "Deal."

Ed walks over to Sora and asks, "Hey, so uh, what's going on with you...home dog?" Sora's depressed look changed into a confused look, "Home dog?" Ed then said, "N-nothing, something I heard from, uh, ANYWAY, what's with the anger issue? We're almost at Central, so you won't have to worry about me getting into trouble." Sora shook his head, "That's not it. It's just, well, I thought we'd be praised for saving Lior, and now Rose hates us for it. Since when do the good guys get blamed for what they do?" Ed asked, "What planet are you from?"

Sora looked at Ed, "Ed, I'm serious." Edward proceeds into sitting on the seat in front of Sora, then he explained, "Look, sometimes people have different opinions about the work we do. You can't expect a crowd of happy-go-lucky people to cheer for your victory, and you don't always get the girl. It's just a part of life Sora, you don't always get what you want. You understand what I mean?" Sora sighs and replied, "I guess so, but I still wish Rose could understand." Ed then said to Sora, "Whether she does or not isn't our choice to make, it's hers."

At 11:42 AM, Sora and the Elrics arrive at Central, where they were greeted by Maes Hughes. Hughes salutes the Elrics, "It's good to see you back Ed & Al, did you find the Stone?" Ed gave a disappointed look and said, "It turned out to be a fake, used by a fake." Hughes chuckled and said, "Tell you what boys, why don't you stay the night with me and Grace again? I'm sure Elicia would love to see your little faces again-." Ed interrupts, "WHAT'S WITH THE 'LITTLE' STUFF? I KEEP TELLING YOU PEOPLE THAT I AIN'T LITTLE!"

Hughes scratches his head in embarrassment, "Sorry about that Ed, slip of the tongue I guess. Anyway, the Elrics aren't the only ones I should take over. Sora, would you like to meet your new family?" Sora felt a bit uneasy, "Well, I don't know, I told Riku that I would pay him and the others a visit back at the orphanage." Hughes looked disappointed, "Well, I guess I can allow that. You must be feeling pretty homesick after all, it was too soon for you to just accept your new life outside the orphanage. Just make sure to return safe, OK?" Sora nods, "OK...dad."

As Sora headed back to the train station, Hughes couldn't help but shed tears, "He...h-h-he...c-called me..." Ed asked, "So Hughes, how are the others doing?" Hughes just stood there smiling with stars in his eyes. Ed asked again, "Uh, Hughes? Hughes, you OK? HUGHES?"

Meanwhile, as Sora was buying the train tickets to Destiny Islands, Jiminy Cricket sneaks inside the train, "I'll let Donald and Goofy search around Lior. In the meantime, I'll find more information about the new Keybearer at his hometown. Then maybe, we might know who we're looking for."

Back at the orphanage, a young boy was keeping his roommate up while practicing his skills with a Blitzball, the roommate asked, "Tidus, would you cut it out? It's almost bed time!" Tidus frowns at his roommate, "No way Wakka, I have to practice! There's a Blitzball Tournament tomorrow, and I just need to practice on one more move and then, GOAL! I win the game, and the prize!"

Wakka shook his head in disappointment, "(sigh) Lulu warned me this would happen. You can practice all you want 'superstar', I'm getting some Potions from the fridge." As Wakka left the room, Tidus yelled out, "Bring me a Chocolate Potion!"

"Yak yak yak, I'll give ya chocolate, a CHOCOLATE FOOT UP IN YOUR-!" Before Wakka could finish, he noticed Riku walking toward him, holding a lit candle. Wakka asked, "Hey Riku, did Tidus's practicing wake you up to?" Tidus interrupted, "GOAL! Suck on that, Dad!" Wakka turned back at Riku, "I know, he's a jerk."

But Riku didn't reply, instead, he smiled and unexpectedly tossed the candle on the ground, where the carpet caught on fire! Wakka was shocked and stood back, "R-Riku, what are you doing?" Riku simply replied, "I'm calling out to him...I'm calling out to Sora." Tidus comes out of the room and notices the entire hallway on fire, "WAKKA, IS THIS BECAUSE I ATE YOUR YOGURT?"

Wakka shakes his head, "No you dope, Riku just started a fire! We have to try and save the others, come on!" Wakka and Tidus went to try and save their brethren while Riku walked out of the burning building, "Where are you Sora, we're free now, so fulfill your destiny...AND JOIN US!"

While the train was close to Destiny Islands, Sora sat quietly, thinking about how his new family was going to be like in Central. He thought, _A family, it's strange, the only family I had was back in the Orphanage. When I get back to Central, Hughes will probably start blathering about his daughter. I have to admit, she does look adorable, she's like a baby lion cub, I mean, my god, even I'm starting to think she's cute. WAIT, WHAT AM I THINKING? I'M STARTING TO ACT LIKE HUGHES! Anyway, I should be arriving at Destiny Islands now..._

The train finally arrives at the train station, where a certain cricket jumps off. After coming out of the station, Jiminy looks around, trying to find the Y. O. U. T. H. Orphanage, "If I was harboring young and lethal orphans trained for combat, where would I be?"

Sora was next to exit the station, he started walking down the sidewalk, heading toward the orphanage. As he was walking, he noticed a few people running past him, screaming in fear.

"LIVING SHADOWS, THEY'RE EATING EVERYONE!"

Sora was shocked, "Living shadows? Could it be Cornello's Golems?" Sora takes out his Avenger and rushes downtown. Jiminy then noticed Sora wielding the strangely shaped dagger, it was shaped like a key, "Could that be...the Key? So Mickey already found and gave it to him! Good work Mr. President." Jiminy ran toward Sora, "Young man, wait a minute!" Sora couldn't hear him, instead, he rushes to the Orphanage. "Where is he going? (sniff sniff) Do I smell...fire?" Jiminy shook his head and decided to followed him.

Sora rushes through the streets filled with frightened civilians, he then noticed a girl on the street, "Is that...Tina?" Tina looked up and saw Sora rushing toward her, "S-Sora?" Tina tried to get up, but she was suddenly attacked by the Shadow Golems, they pounced on her, ready to devour her. Sora yelled, "TINA, I'M COMING!" Sora sliced through the Shadows and carried Tina away, Sora asked, "What are you doing out of the Orphanage?" A weakened Tina replied, "Sora...I'm glad to see you, I thought I'd never..." Sora interrupted, "Stay with me Tina, why aren't you in the Orphanage?"

Tina's eyes widened, "Riku...his eyes were cold, he became...different." Sora asked, "What does Riku's attitude have to do with the Orphanage?" Tina explained, "...he betrayed us...he lit our home on fire...Sora, I think he's looking for you!" Sora lets her down near a bench and covers her with his coat, "Riku wouldn't do that...he couldn't. Tina, stay here and wait for the others, I have to see Riku!" Sora then gave Tina an Elixir and left, Tina called out, "SORA, DON'T GO TO HIM, IT'S WHAT HE WANTS!"

As Sora kept rushing towards the Orphanage, he came across Tidus and Wakka, who were fighting off more Shadows. Sora runs to their side and assists them, Wakka asked, "Sora, your back?" Tidus then asked, "What's with the new dagger?" The Shadows try to pounce on Tidus, but Sora attacked, slicing through them. Then 5 more arrived and jumped on Sora, Wakka grabs Tidus's Blitzball and jumps into the air, "TAKE THIS!" and then chucks it at the Shadows, stunning them.

This gives Sora enough time to slice through them, after that, there was only one left, Tidus pulls out his Brotherhood and slices it in half. Tidus cheers, "HA! An ace never loses!" Tidus turns toward Wakka, "By the way, you should teach me that attack someday, I could score a big one at the Tournament!" Wakka nods, "Yeah, yeah, if we live through this, I'll teach you, alright? Now lets get going!" Sora stops Wakka, "Wait, Tina's on a bench just ahead. If you find her, could you get her to safety?" Tidus replies, "Alright, we'll be at the train station waiting, if you find any other survivors from the Orphanage, tell them to head to where we are, OK?" Sora nods and runs toward the Orphanage.

While running, he noticed most of the other Orphan assassins fighting the Shadows. Sora asked, "You guys need a hand?" Lulu replied, "Oh great, the hedgehog head. Aren't you supposed to be looking for your boyfriend?" Sora felt ridiculous and replied, "I'M NOT GAY! WHO EVEN TELLS YOU THESE THINGS?" Lulu answered, "Uhh...Ba'Gamnan?" Sora shook his head, "The lucky bastard doesn't live here anymore, but if he did...anyway, if there are any other survivors, tell them to go to the train station and wait for me! I have to find Riku!"

Lulu nods and takes Selphie by the wrist, "Come on, 'curls', we're leaving!" Selphie complained, "Aw, come on! Let me hit'em again, I'm tough!" Lulu replied, "NO! We've been through this, a jump rope is NOT a weapon! Now come on!" Sora watches the two girls and the other assassins run toward the train station, then he continues running toward the Orphanage.

Sora finally made it to the Y. O. U. T. H. Orphanage, where the entire building was burning into ash. Sora was shocked to see his old home in flames, he called out, "RIKU, HELLO? IS ANYONE THERE?" Suddenly, a voice was heard, "It doesn't seem like anyone's left." Sora turned around to see the person talking, but he couldn't see who was talking. The voice called out again, "Over here! On the ground!" Sora curiously looked down and saw right before him, a Cricket with cloths on.

The Cricket introduced himself, "Cricket's the name, Jiminy Cricket." Sora asked, "How does a bug know how to talk?" Jiminy scratched his head, "I'll ignore the 'bug' comment. Anyway, I'll tell you about who I am later, right now we have to get out of here! Those creatures are after-!"

"Sora, your back."

Sora turned around and saw Riku, standing before the burning building. Sora asked, "Riku, what happened here? What's happened to our home?" Riku smiled and looked up at the sky, "The door...has opened...now Sora, we can go into the outside world! We can all be free like you!" Sora was confused, "Free? What are you talking about? We have to stop the fire and reunite with the others-!"

Riku interrupted, "Our brothers and sisters are coming with us! Sora...I cut our ties from Y. O. U. T. H. permanently like you did when you were taken away. We can never see Destiny Islands or our friends here again. There's no turning back! This inferno destroying our home represents our freedom from the state, we will no longer be apart! This maybe our only chance to run together, we can't let our fear stop us...I AM NOT AFRAID OF THE DARKNESS!"

End of Chapter 11

* * *

**Next Chapter: A horrific memory is revealed...**

**Please Comment.  
**


	12. Chapter 12

**Last time, Sora and the Elric Brothers left Lior and returned to Central by train. Maes Hughes welcomed the young heroes back, and was happy to call Sora a member of his family, but before Sora could go with Hughes to his new home, Sora had a promise he had to keep...**

**Back at Destiny Islands and in the Orphanage, Riku was awaiting the arrival of Sora, who told him that he was going to pay them a visit after he completes his first in Lior. But as he was waiting, a strange robed man came into the Orphanage and said to Riku...**

**THE DOOR HAS OPENED!**

**Somehow, after the encounter, Riku went insane and lit the Orphanage on fire. **

**Sora then returned to Destiny Islands and saw Cornello's pets, the Golems. What can they be looking for?**

**While defeating many Golems, Sora helped his fellow orphans get through the city. Eager to know why these creatures attacked his old home, Sora followed the trail of fire and death back to the Orphanage, where Riku (Or whatever's left of him) was waiting with open arms...  
**

**Warning: Final Fantasy, Kingdom Hearts and Fullmetal Alchemist are both licensed by Square-Enix. The secondary licenses for both franchises are Disney (Kingdom Hearts), Aniplex, Bones Inc., and Funimation (Fullmetal Alchemist). **

**PS: There will be spoilers.**

* * *

Fullmetal Kingdom: The Fanfic

Chapter 12: Stained Memories

Sora was terrified by Riku's sudden change of character. He tried to talk some sense into his friend, "Riku, listen to yourself. You're talking about random things after burning our home. Doors, darkness, fear, what are you trying to say to me? You never snapped like this before, WHY NOW?" Riku didn't answer, he didn't listen to a single word that Sora said to him, Riku reached out to Sora, "The military will be here at any moment. We have to hurry..." Jiminy pulled Sora's ear, "Sora, don't follow him, trust me on this!"

Sora then looked back at Riku and said, "...I'm not going with you Riku." Riku staggered for a bit, "W-what? But why?" Sora replied, "Because the Riku I knew wouldn't let this happen. The Riku I remembered was noble and well respected. You are not the same Riku, in fact, YOU'RE INSANE!" Riku started to tremble, he felt abandoned, so he clenched his fist and said, "YOU'RE NOT SO DIFFERENT FROM ME YOU FOOL! AFTER ALL, YOU'RE THE ONE TO BLAME FOR WHAT HAPPENED TO HER!"

"!"

Sora's eyes widened in terror, he trembled while remembering his childhood, he then looked at his right hand, and remembered holding something, a weapon of some kind. He looked down and saw someone lying on the ground. Sora remembered how he was covered in something, something he was well too familiar with...

"B-blood" Sora couldn't help it, his memory of that day returned...

**...what...why am I...hey, are you...**

**!**

Sora's eyes turned white, and then he fainted. Riku started to walk towards the unconscious youth, "You brought this upon yourself, Sora, now come..." but Jiminy stepped in front of Sora, Riku smiled and asked, "A bug with high trousers? It's very noble of you, but Sora is mine, so do yourself a favor, and step aside!" Jiminy replied, "I WILL NOT LET YOU CORRUPT THIS BOY!" Riku smiled and started walking towards them. Jiminy was small, but he wasn't a coward, as he remained at Sora's side.

Jiminy thought to himself, _Mr. President, I may not be as talented as you are as far as strength goes, but for you, Pinocchio, and you're home country...I will protect this boy with my life!_ Riku was almost close enough to crush the little cricket, but suddenly, a strange figure stepped before Jiminy...

"...you!"

A few hours after Sora left Central, Hughes brings the Elrics into his house, where his wife, Grace was finished making dinner. Grace came over to Hughes and hugged him, "Welcome home Hughes. How was work?" Hughes replied, "It wasn't as special as seeing you again Grace. By the way, I brought some old friends home." Grace notices the Elrics, "Edward, Alphonse, will they be staying for the night?" Ed waves hello, "Hi again Ms. Hughes."

Grace smiled and said, "By the way Hughes, a certain little girl was waiting for you to come home-." And then, running past Grace, was Hughes's little girl, Elisia. She hugged her father, "DADDY, YOU'RE HOME! YAAAY!" Hughes laughed and picked up his little girl, "Hey there kiddo! I've missed you so much!"

Hughes places his daughter down and explains to her, "By the way Elisia, I brought over the Fullmetal Alchemist for dinner! He helped mommy bring you out into this world, isn't he just the best?" Elisia looked at the two Elric Brothers and pointed at Al, "Big Brother...Little Brother" Elisia said when she pointed at Ed, who was a bit ticked off.

Ed tried to calm down and explain who he is to the little confused girl, "Listen...Elisia, I'm Edward Elric. **I'm** the Fullmetal Alchemist. And this here is my younger brother Alphonse. You see? **Younger...brother.**" Elisia then said, "NO! Teacher says that the younger brother is the little brother. Younger means little, and that's why you're younger, because you're little." Ed's face started bursting like a kettle, "WHAT THE HELL KINDA TEACHER SAYS THAT?".

Back at the house, Grace asked, "Honey...I heard you adopted a young boy, is he here yet?" Hughes scratched his head, "Sorry dear, the kid just wanted to see his friends again. He says he'll be back, so I'll have to take his word for now..."

Later that night, Edward was telling Hughes and his family about his trip to Lior. He told them about how he and Al met Sora, who was determined to protect them from Cornello's tricks and traps. Then, Edward told them about how he tricked the so-called prophet into telling him his secrets about taking over the country, without knowing that the whole conversation was being broadcast on radio. Alphonse then spoke about Edward and Sora's triumphant battle with Cornello, who fell to Ed's alchemy.

Later that night, Hughes was in the living room, sitting on the sofa while reading a book, when Grace came in. She asked, "Maes dear, what's wrong? Can't sleep?" Hughes replied, "Something like that." Grace sat next to him and held his hand, "I know what you're thinking about. You're thinking about the Elrics, aren't you?"

Hughes replied, "Well, not just them...but our 'soon to be' son. Sora's like the Elrics you know, he was trained to fight and follow orders. Those three boys are like the rest of the State Alchemists, they're called the 'Dogs of the Military', and believe me, that's not a very sociable nickname for a sociable bunch like them. I can only imagine what life was like for those boys, enduring all that pain in their young age..."

Later that night, Donald and Goofy returned to Central. After getting off the train, Donald furiously said, "We were told to go to Lior, and when we came, the president and the new Keyblade Master are no where to be found...GRRR, WHERE IS THAT STUPID KEY? I FEEL LIKE I'M BEING LED AROUND AN NEVER ENDING MAZE! THIS IS JUST RIDICULOUS!" Goofy comes over to Donald's side and said, "Hey you know, since he's already on the lookout for them, maybe we aught to go find Leon. Then maybe we can find the Keybearer and the president faster."

But suddenly, Goofy heard something, he turned around and looked, feeling as if something was wrong. Goofy turned to Donald and said, "Uh, Donald, I think we might have been-." Donald shook his head and said, "Ah, what do you know, ya '**BIG PALOOKA**'? For all you know, it was just a stray cat! Now come on, we've got to find this 'Leon' person."

"You'll have to wait on that. Besides, I already know where the Keyblade Master is!"

Donald and Goofy turn around to lock eyes with the person who spoke to them, but surprisingly, there was no one there. "HEY, OVER HERE!" Donald then noticed a certain little cricket waving at them from below. "J-Jiminy? What are you doing here?" Donald asked, Jiminy replied, "I was following the new Keybearer, his name is Sora, and he is currently in the Hospital! Come on, we have to get to him before the Golems do!" Goofy asked, "Golems? What are Golems Jiminy?" Jiminy replied, "I'll explain on the way, come on!"

The next morning, at Hughes's house, Hughes was sleeping on his sofa, waiting for Sora to return, and then, a knock came on the door. Hughes was woken up by the knock and rushed to the door, "Sora, we need to talk about you staying up late with you're-!" Hughes opens the door, but he wasn't greeted by Sora, but instead, by a warrant officer named Vato Falman. Falman scratches his head and asked, "Uh Sir, are you alright?" Hughes replied, "S-sorry Falman, I thought you were somebody else. I was actually waiting all night for my new **baby boy**."

"Actually Sir, that's why I'm here. You see...there was an incident in Destiny Islands."

Minutes later, Mustang and 2nd lieutenant, Riza Hawkeye, were at the Central Hospital, where they waited for Hughes to arrive. Hawkeye checks her watch, "It's almost 12 Sir." Mustang was starting to get impatient, "He's always there to annoy me when the time was right, what's taking him so long?" Suddenly, they notice a car pull up in the parking area. Hughes came out and rushed to Mustang. Hughes then asked, "Roy, what happened? What happened to Sora?"

Meanwhile, back at Hughes's Home, Ed and Al just woke up. Ed noticed Al holding a list in his hand, "What's that in you're hand Al?" Al explained, "Oh this? This is a list of food that I wanted to eat when I turn back into a human." Ed smiled, "Good plan, keeping a memo like that with you. The food that Ms. Hughes made was so delicious!" Al then stood up and said, "...Brother, I sure would like to get our old bodies back soon." Ed replied, "I know, me too."

The brothers came out of the guest room and noticed Grace making breakfast for them and Elisia. However, she had a very concerned look on her face, as if someone she knew was in trouble. Ed asked, "Good morning Ms. Hughes, uh...what's wrong?" Grace looked at Ed and Al and replied, "...Sora's in the hospital."

Back at the Hospital, Hughes, Mustang, and Hawkeye enter a room where Sora was sleeping while being examined by a nurse. Hughes came up to her and asked, "Excuse me, what is his condition?" The nurse replied, "He's in a coma, officer. He'll be unable to wake up for at least a couple of days." Hughes looked at Sora, "What happened to him?"

Mustang answered, "Yesterday night, military personnel reported that his hometown, Destiny Islands, was attacked by a pack of wild wolves that looked like shadows, it sounds ridiculous, but it's true. During the attack, Sora set out to save the surviving orphans who escaped the burning orphanage. Eye witnesses believe that the orphanage was destroyed by a young man named Riku, who was also one of the orphans. The kid confronted Riku, however, before he could stop him from escaping, Sora fainted, with a blank look on his face."

After Mustang's explanation, the Elric Brothers entered the room. Alphonse asks, "Colonel, how is he doing?" Mustang replied, "For now, the kid's out like a light. He turned into a vegetable after an encounter with one of his own, another Y. O. U. T. H. assassin, goes by the name Riku." Ed asked, "How could Sora lose to him? He couldn't be THAT tough, could he?" Mustang replied, "We don't know. Everything about him and the other orphans were bunt to cinder, along with any hope of finding the other orphans."

The Elrics were surprised to hear what Mustang said. Al asked, "Wait, are you talking about the orphans from Sora's old home?" Mustang nodded his head, "That's right, all of them, even the kids Sora saved, were gone without a trace. It is believed that they were kidnapped by Riku and the supposed shadow monsters that attacked Destiny Islands."

Ed's ears were caught by the notion of 'shadow creatures'. He thought to himself, _Shadow creatures? __Could they be the same creatures that Cornello used?_ Al then noticed Ed thinking to himself, and so he asked, "Brother, what is it?" Ed replied, "These 'shadow creatures' sound like those Golems that the former phony, Cornello, was using to try and kill us. Maybe this was Cornello's way of getting back at us. Al, we're heading to Destiny Islands!"

But when Ed was about to leave, Mustang stopped him, "Another time, Fullmetal. Right now, you have an order from the fuhrer. It involves a constant annoyance named Huskisson-" But before Mustang could finish, Hawkeye noticed Sora was starting to wake up, "Sir, he's waking up." Sora blinked and looked around him, he then noticed Hawkeye looking at him, "...what a dream..." Sora started to fall back to sleep, but then, Hawkeye pinches his cheek, "OUCH! This isn't a dream, AND YOU'RE HURTING ME!"

Sora was approached by Hughes, "SORA! I WAS AFRAID OF TELLING MY WIFE AND LITTLE GIRL THAT YOU WERE GOING TO BE A TOMATO FOR THE REST OF YOU'RE LIFE! THANK GOD YOU'RE NOT BRAIN DEAD!" Sora was a bit disturbed by what Hughes said, "BRAIN DEAD TOMATO?"

Sora then remembered what happened before he fainted, "W-wait, where's Riku and the other orphans? Are they alright?" Hawkeye sat by his side and replied, "They disappeared without a trace. Officials are already looking for them, including the rouge assassin." Sora asked, "Rouge? Are you talking about Riku? Pfff, you guys are crazy! Look, he couldn't have done this intentionally, I'm sure that behind that face filled with sinister intent was actually a mentally confused little boy who's looking for a friend."

Mustang asks, "Do you listen to yourself talk?" Sora replied, "Sometimes."

Mustang shook his head, "This encounter with the rouge assassin seems to have clouded you're judgment. Sora, if you encounter him again, you have to be willing to stop him no mater what. Otherwise he'll-." Sora interrupted, "Colonel, I know him! Riku's my best friend, and he would never hurt anyone on purpose! Please sir, let me look for him! I know that I can persuade him to come back and explain himself!" Mustang replied, "I'm afraid I can't allow that. He's an assassin Sora, like you, except he doesn't hold back. He will cut you down without a second thought!"

Sora looked away in frustration. Mustang knew Sora wouldn't accept such an order, "(sigh), look, Sora, possibilities are that Riku will be looking for you again, and his obsession with tracking you down may cost me some soldiers...not to mention some innocent civilians."

Sora's eyes widened, he stood up from his bed and looked at Mustang, "HE'S NOT AN ANIMAL!" Mustang replied, "The decision was already made by the fuhrer. Riku **will** kill everyone in Central to get to you, and if you're not willing to put him down like the 'animal' he is, then the blood of all those civilians will be on you're hands."

Sora felt his memories from the past return again, but he shook them off and said, "...sir, I won't kill him. I'm going to find him, talk to him, and convince him to turn himself in. I made a promise after all, a promise to never kill an innocent!" Mustang then asked, "And what if he isn't innocent?"

Sora couldn't answer, so instead, he walks out of the room. Ed shook his head, "He just can't admit it. His friend betrayed him, burnt his old home, and captured the other orphans, and he still won't admit the truth." Al asked, "Brother, do you think Riku is-?" Edward interrupts, "Whether I do or not isn't important. Sora has to figure the truth out on his own." Ed then reached into his pocket and pulled out his pocket watch. He then opened it, and smiled...

"We all...have to face the truth someday."

End of Chapter 12

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**Next Chapter: Welcome to Traverse Town  
**

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	13. Chapter 13

**Last time, Sora's best friend Riku lured him back to Destiny Islands, now destroyed and filled with Golems. Sora confronts Riku about his strange attitude, telling him that he became insane. In anger, Riku reminds Sora about his past, telling him that he was just as sick as he was back then. Recalling the horrific vision of blood and death caused Sora to faint and remain unconscious for 2 days. **

**He woke up in a hospital bed, with his new father, Maes Hughes, and his commanding officer, Roy Mustang, who told him to stop Riku if he encounters him again. Unwilling to take down his friend, Sora argued with Mustang and bolted out the door, hoping to get to the train station...**

**Warning: Kingdom Hearts and Fullmetal Alchemist are both licensed by Square-Enix. The secondary licenses for both franchises are Disney (Kingdom Hearts), Aniplex, Bones Inc., and Funimation (Fullmetal Alchemist). **

**PS: There will be spoilers.**

* * *

Fullmetal Kingdom: The Fanfic

Chapter 13: Welcome to the Hughes Family

Sora rushes out of the Hospital and continues running, hoping to return to Destiny Islands and find Riku and the other orphans. Sora thought to himself, _There's a reason for everything, even Riku's behavior! I have to find him, I have to save him!_

Sora was so busy running toward the train station, he didn't even notice Donald and Goofy walking by, Donald was startled by Sora's quick rush, that he looked behind him to see who passed him. Donald scratches his head in confusion, "What was that about?" Jiminy interrupted, There's no time for looking back, we've got to get to the Hospital and find Sora before the Golems do!"

Goofy then asked, "Jiminy, while we're running, could you tell us what these Golems are? After all, you said you would tell us." Jiminy answers, "Alright, alright, I'll tell you. These things, the Golems, they are strange black creatures who appear as living shadows with a sweet smelling aroma . They are carnivorous and destructive, they act like a pack of wolves, ravaging through towns. That's all I know about them right now, but what was strange about them was that they could be made though alchemy."

Donald asked, "Wait, how do you know they can be made by alchemy?" Jiminy shifted his eyes for a while and replied, "Uh, well, t-there was a book on Golems in the Destiny Islands library! Yes, that's right! They really love alchemy, don't they? HAHAHAHA..." Goofy then rubbed his chin in confusion, thinking that there might be more to it, but then he said, "OK, I guess that makes sense, a little bit."

As the three Genomes rushed to the Hospital, they passed by a tall figure. He looked forward and said to himself, "So, you're over there, huh? Alright, let's see what you can do...Keyblade Master."

After they exit the Hospital, Mustang meets with the Elrics and tells them about their new mission, "Ed, are you familiar with science?" Ed replies, "It was a cooky philosophy about technology and biology. I never really read into it."

Al then said, "From what I've heard, science has been almost as beneficial to mankind as alchemy. But here in Amestris, people believed in alchemy's progress more than science." Mustang then smiled and said, "Well boys, tomorrow's your lucky day, because you two get to meet a scientist." Ed stumbled in surprise, "W-WHAT? What are you thinking?"

Mustang replied, "I'm thinking that since this guy's smart enough to make a Uranium Bomb, then maybe he could have some clues about where to find the Philosopher Stone." Edward's eyes widened, he looked at Al and then said, "Well, we don't want to get into another ruckus like before, do we Al?" Al stepped back, disturbed by Edward's look, "Brother, what are you thinking?"

Meanwhile, Sora finally made it to the train station. He took his money out, headed for the ticket booth, and demanded, "1 ticket to Destiny Islands, please?" but after he asked, the woman behind the ticket booth said, "I'm sorry sir, but currently, Destiny Islands has been quarantined by the military. Please understand, it is for you're own safety."

Sora was shocked, "Quarantined? Why?" The woman replied, "I'm afraid I don't know, I was told byan officer to tell that to anyone who was eager to go. I'm sorry if this disturbs you." Sora thought to himself, _Could it be that...the military are looking for Riku?_

Sora then asked, "When will it be alright to order tickets to Destiny Islands?" The woman replied, "I wasn't told. It could be days, weeks, even months until that resort can be accessed again." Sora shook his head in disappointment, "(sigh) Thank you anyway mam." The woman replied, "You're welcome, sorry that it didn't work out." Sora then walked away and decided to return to the Hospital, where Hughes was waiting.

Back at the Hospital, Hughes came out and noticed Mustang standing alone. Hughes came beside him and asked, "So the Elrics went to see the good doctor?" Mustang replied, "They ran as fast as they could when I told them that he knew about the Philosopher Stone."

Hughes then asked, "Well, does he?" Mustang laughed and replied, "No, the old doc is a scientist who hates alchemy. Still, I heard that he has a short temper with people who get in the way of his experiments. The boys don't know it yet, but Huskisson has enough brain power to blow up Central..."

Hughes then notices Sora running back. Sora looked a bit enraged as he ran, he rushed toward Mustang and then asked, "WHY DID YOU CLOSE OFF DESTINY ISLANDS?" Mustang replied, "I wasn't the one who closed off the resort, it was the Iron Blood alchemist, Brigadier General Grand, a state alchemist that holds a higher ranking than I do. Besides, even if you returned to Destiny Islands, what do you think will happen? Do you think you can find your comrades? Do you think you can convince Riku to come back?"

Sora wanted to answer, but he couldn't, he tried to say _I can do this_, but he didn't know how. Mustang sighed and said, "Look kid, there's a possibility that they already left Destiny Islands. You might not see them for some time, but that's what happens in life. There are going to be disappointments, so you have to get used to that, alright? You might see them again someday, but for now, just get on with you're life and don't look back."

Sora's eyes burned with intensity as he asked, "GET ON WITH MY LIFE? You want me to abandon them? I won't do that! You can't just-!" Mustang grabbed Sora's arm and pulled it up in order to stop Sora's anger. He then replied, "There's a reason you're with us, remember? You are now free from Y. O. U. T. H., but you work for us! And like it or not, you WILL follow orders and remember you're place! You owe us for that much, right? You shouldn't let yourself get distracted by every little lost cause." Sora looked away, pulling his arm back, "...yes sir.".

Mustang walks toward his car with Hawkeye waiting, but before he left, he tells Sora, "...until the Elrics return, you are suspended from duty." Sora was shocked when he heard Mustang, he continued, "Wait for my orders until then, understand?" Sora looked down and nodded his head, "Y-yes sir..."

As Mustang left, Sora could help but feel hopeless. His home was burnt to the ground, he lost his friends, and Riku wasn't his normal self. Before Sora could think about what to do, Hughes pats his shoulder, "Aww, forget that stingy old sourpuss, he just gave you a break form work, well, at least until the Elrics return. That means you're a free man. Come on son, there are some people that I'd like you to meet!" Sora couldn't lighten up, but he smiled at Hughes anyway, "Sure thing, dad."

Hughes took Sora to his home, just as Donald and Goofy arrived at the Hospital. Donald took some time to catch his breath, "(gasp-sigh) (gasp-sigh), A duck was not meant to run this far." Jiminy then said, "Come on, Donald. The front door is right in front of you. Just take a few more steps-." Donald interrupts, "Yeah-why don't YOU take a few more steps to the Hospital from the TRAIN STATION, you'll be just as tired. Oh wait, no you won't, you're a bug, you'd be dying of thirst before you even make it!"

Goofy then said, "Uh Donald, since you're pretty tired, howzabout I go check if the Keyblade Master is in there?" Donald nods, "S-sure thing Goofy. I'll be right behind you." Goofy then heads for the entrance when suddenly, a nurse opens the door in front of Goofy, knocking him out. The nurse was surprised, "S-sorry about that!" She then noticed Donald and Goofy's appearance, "Wh-what the- what are you creatures?" Donald then noticed that he forgot to put on his cloak to conceal his appearance, and so did Goofy.

Donald then tried to explain himself, "Now, now, mam, please understand. We...are those new Chimeras that the military promised, YEAH, THAT'S IT! The talking chimeras." The nurse looked closely and said, "Well, now that you mention it, that shade of blue on you're clothes does match the color on the other soldiers. But that doesn't explain the large dog-man over there."

Jiminy popped out of Donald's hat and explained, "Well mam, that is because he...is our leader. Chimera fractions are always in need of a leader, and this young man here, is our leader." The nurse looked at Goofy as he stood up, she then decided to bow before Goofy, "I'm sorry, I'm so sorry!" Goofy waved his hand and replied, "Gwarsh miss nurse, ya don't have to worry about me. It happens all the time. Ahyuk!" The nurse stopped bowing and smiled, "W-well anyway, can I help you?"

Donald explained, "We're looking for a kid that came from Destiny Islands." The nurse then realized who they were looking for, "Oh no, was he involved with something?" Goofy then replied, "It's nothing like that mam. We just need to speak with him, that's all." The nurse then answered, "Oh, well, he already went with his foster father to his new home." Donald wasn't at all pleased with this news, "AWW GREAT! We lost him again Goofy!"

Meanwhile, Hughes drove Sora through his neighborhood, "Welcome to Traverse Town Sora. It's a nice, quiet part of Central. It's filled with friendly travelers, most of them lost their homes, so they all travel here to begin a new life, kinda like you."

"Yeah...like me."

A few minutes later, they finally arrive at the Hughes's house. Grace and Elicia were waiting outside for Hughes to return, and they noticed Sora walking with him. Hughes waves at them, "Grace, Elicia, I'm home! And I've brought the newest member of the Hughes family!" Elicia hides behind her mother, while Grace walks toward Hughes and hugs him, "Welcome back dear."

Grace then looked at a nervous Sora, "You must be Sora, it's a pleasure to meet you. I'm Grace Hughes...you're new mother." Sora bows, "N-nice to meet you mam." Grace giggles and corrects him, "There's no need for you to call me mam, just Mom. You know, you replace the a in 'mam' with an o, then you have the word 'mom', it's that simple." Sora nods his head, "A-alright, sorry about that...mom."

Hughes smiles, "Sora, there's someone else I'd like you to meet. See the little angel behind Grace? This is my little girl, and the most lovable little 3 year old ever, Elisia!" Elisia peeks behind her mother to look at Sora, who waved at her. But Elicia was too shy to respond, so she went behind her mom again. Grace then said, "She's usually very straight forward, I guess Sora's face caught her by surprise."

Sora rubbed his head, "So, uh...where do I sleep?"

Later that night, Donald, Goofy, and Jiminy were walking back to Rin's Travel Agency to deliver the bad news to their friends. As they entered, they saw Chip & Dale drawing blueprints for some unnamed invention. Dale asked, "Is it done, is it done?" Chip replied, "No you egghead! We still need test subjects-oh, hi guys!"

Donald asked, "What are you guys working on?" The duo replied, "CHILI BEANS!" Donald's eyes turned red, "BEANS? Burn them Goofy! Burn the witches!" Goofy grabs Donald before he could grab the two chipmunks and said, "Please Donald, it's not like the beans I prepared for our trip. I'm sure whatever the two chipmunks make will be much better." Donald then said, "BEANS ARE BEANS GOOFY! THEY'RE THE DEVIL'S DROPPINGS! (Quacking maniacally)"

Goofy then grabs a saxophone and plays a Kenny G song called "Song Bird"

Donald then stops quacking and chasing the chipmunks. Instead, Donald just tilts back and forth with a dorky grin with a relaxed look, "B-beans...beans...beeeaaans...(snores)." Jiminy popped out of Goofy's hat and asked, "Goofy, how do you know how to play the saxophone?" Goofy replied, "Some fat cat named Scat Cat. He's actually a nice guy and lead musician of the hit Jazz band, The Alleycats."

Just then, Aeris came to them, "You all came back, wonderful. I was worried when Leon told me the two of you lost sight of Sora." Donald snapped out of the hypnotic rhythm of Goofy's saxophone and asked, "LOST? Lady, we've been trying to find the kid for days! He left Lior before we could find him, Jiminy lost him at Destiny Islands, the kid then left with some fuzzy chinned guy. You can't expect us to find him just like THAT!"

Aeris then explained, "Calm down Donald, there's no need for you to be upset. In fact, for all the hard work you and Goofy have done for us, Squall-er, I mean, Leon said that he'll take over for you two tonight." Goofy was confused, "But Leon doesn't know where Sora is. How does he expect to find him?"

Aeris replied, "Actually, Leon already knows where to find him..."

Back at the Hughes's house, Sora starts to get ready for bed. Grace enters the room and asks, "How do you like the room?" Sora replied, "It's nice, and it's much more cozy than my old cell back at the orphanage. I even have a nice view of the town." Sora looks out of the window and sees the townspeople walking down the street, entering and leaving marketplaces and restaurants. Grace then said, "I brought you some more blankets and some fresh cold milk." Sora looked back and said, "Thank you."

Sora drank the milk and placed the blankets on the bed. Sora then said, "Mrs. Hughes-I mean, mom, thank you again for making me welcome here." Grace smiles and replied, "Well this is you're home now, Sora. A home is where you are always welcome. Even after you travel through many adventures, through many exotic and dangerous places, you will always have a home to return to."

Sora smiled, "Thank you...mom." Grace waves and closes the door, letting Sora finish setting his bed. After a few minutes, Sora finally finished setting his bed, "(yawn) Well, I'm bushed." Sora climbed into his covers and began to drift off into sleep. But just before he could sleep, he felt something grab him. Sora jumped out of bed to find out that four Golems were inside his room! They started hissing and walking closer, Sora brought out his Keyblade and prepared for an unexpected fight.

"I don't know why Cornello sent you, but if it's a fight you want..."

Meanwhile, in a red, deserted location, filled with crumbling buildings, a dark portal appears, and out of it, came Crimson, who seemed familiar with the surroundings. Crimson looked up at the violet/red sky with black clouds and said to himself, "Hmmm, still a mess...destroyed ruins of an advanced city, check! Red light surfacing the land, check! The endless amount of shadow and death...check! (sigh), it's good to be home."

End of Chapter 13

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**Next Chapter: Sora encounters a peculiar old man...**

**Please Reply.  
**


	14. Chapter 14

**Last time, Sora tried to return home to Destiny Islands to find Riku and the other orphans, but was shocked to learn that the military closed Destiny Islands off. Worried that Sora's eagerness to save his friends would cloud his judgment, Mustang suspends him from duty until the Elric Brothers return from their newest mission.**

**During his suspension, Sora was welcomed into his new family, the Hugheses.**

**Meanwhile, Donald and Goofy reunite with Jimminy Cricket, who was eager to find Sora before the Golems do, but they had no luck in finding him, as they were loosing hope, Aeris told them that she sent one of her friends, Leon, to help look for Sora.**

**Back at his new home, Sora was about to settle in bed, when suddenly, the Golems appeared and attacked him...**

**Warning: Kingdom Hearts and Fullmetal Alchemist are both licensed by Square-Enix. The secondary licenses for both franchises are Disney (Kingdom Hearts), Aniplex, Bones Inc., and Funimation (Fullmetal Alchemist). **

**PS: There will be spoilers.**

* * *

Fullmetal Kingdom: The Fanfic

Chapter 14: They Stalk the Night

"Sorry guys, but this is my room, so CLEAR OUT!"

Sora lunges at the Golems and slashes 2 of them apart. The other 2 suddenly grab Sora and throw him out of the window. Sora used one of the Golems to break his fall, but as soon as he was outside, more Golems emerged out of the shadows of night and surrounded him.

Hughes and Grace woke up after hearing glass break. So Hughes steps out of bed to see what was causing the commotion, "Honey, wait here, I'll check it out!" Hughes quickly grabbed a bat and opened the door.

Hughes walked quietly through the hallway with his gun at his side. He looked around, trying to find anything out of place. He then went to check if Elisia was still asleep in bed, as he opened her door, he breathed a sigh of relief, knowing that his little girl was alright, sleeping in her little bed.

Hughes then decided to see if Sora was alright, but just as he looked in, he noticed the window in his room was broken! Hughes rushes into the room to see if Sora was still in the room, then he heard someone yelling while attacking. Hughes ran toward the broken window, and through it, he saw Sora fighting an unlimited amount of Golems.

Hughes then remembered the discription of the monsters that attacked Destiny Islands...

**...a pack of wild wolves that looked like shadows...**

"It's them, the shadow creatures that attacked Sora's old home!" Hughes then yelled out to Sora, "Sora, hang on! DADDY'S COMING!" Sora heard Hughes and replied, "WAIT! I can handle them!" But Hughes didn't listen, he rushed through the hallway and down the stairs to come outside and try and save Sora. Sora didn't want to risk any casualties, so Sora tries to lure the Golems away, "Hey roaches! You're momma's so fat, she...crud, what's a good joke? Uh, AWW WHAT THE HELL, YOU GUYS ARE UGLY!"

The Golems hissed even louder and went after him. Sora ran as fast as he could to lure the Golems away from the Hughes's house, "That's right you freaks, come and get me!".

Hughes steps out of the house with all his weapons ready for use, a pack of grenades, a few guns, a bat, and a tennis racket.

"Alright you freaks, SUFFER THE FURY OF HUGHES-! Huh?" Hughes looks around and noticed no one there. Grace comes out of the house and asks, "(yawn) Hughes dear, what was all that commotion?" Hughes replied, "Grace, it was those creatures that attacked Destiny Islands, they've come here!"

Grace was terrified, "Dear, we have to let the colonel know about this! Those monsters could tear Central apart!" Hughes nods his head in response, "Right, but YOU need to call him! In the meantime, I'll go find Sora. I can't let him suffer the same way as his friends, turning insane or even disappearing out of thin air!" Hughes runs back into the house and changes into his uniform, and as soon as he was done, he ran back out of the house and went out to look for Sora. Grace calls out, "BE CAREFUL!"

Back at Rin's Travel Agency, Donald looked at Aeris with a confused look, "What do you mean 'Leon already found him'?" Aeris replied, "I mean, Leon knows where to find Sora. He should be trying intercept the boy right now." Suddenly, Rin came rushing down the stairs, "Aeris! Leon just called! Those creatures, the Golems, they've been spotted in Central!"

Aeris's eyes widened in terror, "...no, they've made their move! We have to find the Keybearer before they do!" Donald smiles and took out his staff, "Don't worry Aeris, we'll stop the Golems and find the kid before you can say '**STEAMBOAT WILLIE**'! Come on Goofy!"

As the two Genomes left, Rin walked over to Aeris and asked, "Shouldn't we have told them that Leon didn't require any help?" Aeris shook her head and replied, "It's alright, I have faith in Leon's progress. Though, I do worry for him, the Golems can be...unpredictable. We have to go and help out!" Rin then takes his rifle and said, "I'm ready whenever you are mam."

Back outside the city streets, Sora was running, making sure that the Golems were focused on him. He looked back and noticed more and more Golems running after him, "HA! What's the matter you slowpokes? Can't catch me?" Sora stops and looks around, trying to see if anyone was close by. He breathes a sigh of relief when he saw no one outside, meaning that he can fight the Golems without endangering civilians.

Sora turns around and smirks at the Golems, "Now that we're alone...LET'S PARTY!" Sora then lunges at the hoard of Golems, stabbing one through the head, then tearing through 3 more like they were paper.

A Golem quickly took Sora by the arm and threw him, the young bodyguard stood back up, but was quickly batted away again. These Golems seemed Hell-bent on killing Sora.

One Golem tried to pounce on Sora, but Sora quickly dodged the attack. Sora then grabbed the Golem's leg and hurled it at the other Golems. Sora slashed through the group of Golems and said, "Don't you guys have better things to do than ruining people's lives?"

Sora attacked another group of Golems and asked, "What does Cornello want with me? TELL ME YOU BASTARDS!" The Golems remained silent, grabbed Sora from behind and tossed him through a window of a small market. Once through, Sora tried to stand up, feeling dazed from the sudden attack. He then noticed one of his hands cut by the window glass...

Sora's eyes were filled with fear once again. The blood once again brought back the tragic memories from his past...

**Hello, what's you're name?**

**So, you're name is Sora?**

**(slice)**

**...monster...YOU ARE A MONSTER! **

But while Sora was seeing visions of terror, the Golems were drawing closer to him. They sharpened their claws and crept towards the young hero. They then prepare for an attack stance, they hissed quietly, then the volume of their hissing increased. They were ready to feast on Sora's flesh. But just before they could, a voice was heard...

"TAKE YOU'RE STINKING FEET OFF MY PROPERTY YOU DAMN DIRTY FREAKS!"

The Golems's attention was then drawn to the shopkeeper, a 32 year old man, who was furious at the Golem's destructive behavior. He took his broom and tried to chase them out, "You monsters are the ones aren't you? You're the same goddamn circus freaks that stole my armor pieces! Do you know how many years it took me to salvage all that-?" but the Golems were not so easily frightened, so they grabbed the shopkeeper and tossed him out of the store.

"MOTHER F-!" The shopkeeper said as he fell to the ground. The shopkeeper gathered his senses and stood back up. And as the Golems surround him, he lights a cigarette in his mouth and says, "Don't expect me to go down quicker just because I'm an old man..." Then, the shopkeeper took off the broom's brushy side, and beneath it, was a small blade, "Hell, I'm not even that old, I'M #$%^&* 32!"

The shopkeeper then jumps into the air and tosses his spear at a Golem. Then the shopkeeper took the spear (with the Golem still attached to it) and chucked it through three others, "Shishkabob anyone?" But then, more Golems appeared and pounced on him. As he struggles to get free, the shopkeeper said, "I ain't letting some punk-asses like you take me down without a fight!" The shopkeeper bats them away with a strong blow from his fists and stepped away from them.

He then proceeded into lighting a small stick of dynamite with his own cigarette, and then, he gave the dynamite a great toss and sent it flying right at the Golems, "Time to make like the 4th of July and BLAST OFF!" the shopkeeper said while running away. The Golems believed the burning stick was something of pure beauty, but before they could understand what just happened

(KRACKA-BOOM)

After the explosion, the shopkeeper danced in victory and said, "AND DON'T COME ANYWHERE NEAR MY STORE AGAIN, YOU ARMOR STEALING SHITS!"

A few moments later, Sora was approached by the shopkeeper. The shopkeeper takes a glass of water and spills it on Sora's face, "Hey kid, come on. Snap out of it and look at me!" Sora started to regain consciousness, he blinked twice, then looked around, "W-what is this place?" The shopkeeper replied, "You're in what's left of my Accessory Store, kid." Sora stood up and said, "I'm not a kid! My name is Sora." The shopkeeper smirked, "I really don't care, kid. All I care about right now is how you're going to pay for all this destruction."

Sora looked around and felt a dark chill in his back. He turned around, looked at the shopkeeper and said, "Uh, gramps...I didn't do this to you're store, the Golems did. They were chasing after me and-." The shopkeeper interrupts, "YOU EXPECT ME TO BELIEVE THAT CRAP? I AM NOT LETTING SOME LITTLE BRAT GET OFF THE HOOK JUST BECAUSE HE SAYS SOMEONE ELSE MADE HIM DO IT!"

Sora tried to talk some sense into the shopkeeper, "But it's the truth, gramps. Those things were after me and they were about to kill me." The shopkeeper then said, "Listen kid, first of all, the name's not 'gramps', it's Cid, Cid Highwind. And second, they tossed you through my store, not one of their own, YOU! That makes you the one responsible for letting those bastards push you around. If you were as experienced as I was, you would have been ready for whatever the hell they had up their sleeve!"

"It's not like I did it on purpose! You're practically yelling at me for nothing! And what do you mean 'experienced'? I was raised to kill-uh, I mean, protect. I have more experience at fighting than you do at keeping a store like this cleaned!" Sora said. Cid then said, "So you really think that? Hmm, alright, I'll take you up on that challenge. How'z about you look for my missing armor pieces for me?" Sora was confused, "Wha? You want me to prove my stuff by GETTING YOU'RE STUFF? What kind of test is that?"

Cid explained, "You see kid, I have, like many other accessory dealers in Central, lost all my stuff. What's business without the merchandise? An empty stomach, that's what! If I can't make any money, I can't afford my home, or my food, I'll be on the streets, begging folks to give me money in exchange for a foot, MY FOOT! So if you get my stuff back from those black shadow things before the sun rises, then I'll acknowledge you as my successor, deal?"

Sora replied, "Hmm, I don't know, it still sounds like I'm doing the work...aw, what the heck! I'll do it, just to see you balling like a baby when I return." After giving a thumbs up to Cid, he runs out in search of Cid's merchandise. Cid waves to Sora, but then smiles, "We'll see who's the baby when you get back...Sora was it? Anyway, I should clean up before he gets back."

An hour later, Sora is seen walk through the street, looking for the Golems who stole Cid's accessories. He thought to himself, _Becoming a bodyguard for a dwarf, getting dumped by a nice girl, loosing my old home and friends, and now look at me...searching a huge city for junk! I've been put through enough already, I can't save Riku or the others, I can't ask for Rose's forgiveness, and I can't even figure out why the Golems are after me! In fact, after Ed and I beat Cornello, his Golems became obsessed with me. It's like I have a target on my forehead! With all this excitement in my life, I can only imagine how it's going to get worse!_

"They'll come at you from out of nowhere..."

Sora stopped walking after hearing the anomalous voice. He looked around the dark street, trying to look for the one who spoke to him, "Who's there?" Then, out of the shadows came a tall figure with spiky brown hair, black clothing, and a scar seen across his face. The stranger approached Sora, continuing his explanation, "...and they'll keep on coming after you...as long as you continue to wield the Keyblade."

Sora took out and looked at his sword, "This is called the Avenger, not the Keyblade." The stranger replied, "I really don't care what you call it." Sora then realized something, "Wait, how do you know about the Golems coming after me? Are you one of Cornello's followers?" The stranger replied, "Didn't you overthrow him? Why would I work for a fake father of a dying religion? Seriously, did the Keyblade really choose you? A dim-witted kid? It was probably a fluke, you must have got it by mistake."

The stranger shook his head, "Aww, never mind. Look, the Golems are after you because of the Keyblade, and that's all you need to know, got it? Now, if you want to be safe from them, then give me the Keyblade." Sora backs away, "How do I know that you're telling the truth?" The stranger replied, "Never mind that. Now give me that Keyblade." Sora took a fighting stance, "For the last time, it's called the Avenger! And there is no way in Hell that you're going to take my dagger!"

The stranger shook his head in disappointment, and after he did, he slowly pulled out what appeared to be a sword, only it had some type of gun action built into the hilt, with its barrel running inside the length of the blade. The stranger then pointed this 'gun-blade' at Sora and smiled, "Alright, then have it you're way kid...I won't be holding back!"

Meanwhile, back in the destroyed location, Crimson walked through his 'home' and wondered, "Where is it? I waited for countless years to return home and now that I've returned, my own palace isn't here? Wait...AHHH! There is is!"

Crimson stared through the red fog and saw what appeared to be a towering castle, Off-screen, Crimson takes off his mask and started walking towards his kingdom, "Now that I've found my wondrous 'castellum', I need only concentrate on my little neanderthals and see what they've been up to since my years of captivity..."

End of Chapter 14

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**Next Chapter: Alphonse meets with a peculiar man of science while Sora battles Leon.**

**Please Comment  
**


	15. Chapter 15

**Last time, Just as Sora was starting a new life with his adopted family, Cornello's former servants, the Golems, attacked him in his room. To lure them away from Hughes and his family, Sora ran into the streets of Traverse Town, while being chased by the malicious creatures. As he tried to fight off the monsters, an old accesory shop owner named Cid Highwind helped him fight off the Golems. After a small skirmish, Cid dared Sora to find his merchandise. But As Sora was searching for the Golems, he found something else instead, a challenge from a mysterious young man with a strange gun-like blade...  
**

**Warning: Kingdom Hearts and Fullmetal Alchemist are both licensed by Square-Enix. The secondary licenses for both franchises are Disney (Kingdom Hearts), Aniplex, Bones Inc., and Funimation (Fullmetal Alchemist). **

**PS: There will be spoilers.**

* * *

Fullmetal Kingdom: The Fanfic

Chapter 15: The Lion's Den

A few miles at sea, there was an island made entirely out of steel. Hence the name, Mechanical Castle, a paradise for inventors, as well as the stronghold of a famous scientist named Huskisson, who specializes in Nuclear Power. His research and notes have been very profitable through the military, even when his research involves war...

Traveling by a large ship, Alphonse Elric was heading toward Mechanical Castle for business. He and Edward were actually ordered by Mustang to deliver a message to the scientist about his recent creation. A few days ago, Huskisson delivered a message to the military, telling them that he has just finished his "greatest invention". He reported that his invention will revolutionize the world of alchemy and prove that science can also benefit mankind just as much as alchemy could.

Alphonse felt impressed by the island's steel-plated form, but he couldn't help but feel worried about Ed, who told Al to go instead of him. Alphonse was confused as to why his brother thought it was necessary to go without the Fullmetal Alchemist, but before he could ponder about the situation, the ship stopped at the docking bay.

There waiting for him, was Professor Huskisson, who smiled when he saw the young iron giant step off the ship. Huskisson walked over to Al and said, "Greetings, welcome to Mechanical Castle, where many scientists work for the benefit of mankind. I am the lead scientist, Huskisson."

Al then said, "Well, it's nice to meet you Mr. Huskisson. My name is-." but before Al could say who he was, Huskisson interrupted, "Mr. Edward Elric, the Fullmetal Alchemist, right? You don't have to be so formal, you have already sent me a letter, telling me that you would be arriving as a response for my letter. I know you're a man of action so let's cut to the basics, my latest weapon is complete, and I need a ride to Central as soon as possible."

Al then started to realize why Ed wanted him to go instead...he was sent as a distraction while Edward would find his own way into the island. Of coarse Al wasn't very fond of the idea, but he went with it anyway, knowing that Edward will come through with any info on the Philosopher Stone. So Al followed Huskisson into his underground lab, where he keeps his latest creation safe...

Meanwhile, back in Traverse Town...

"There are people who are counting on me to succeed. So I won't allow myself to be beaten by a SNOT NOSED BRAT!"

The stranger lunges at Sora, trying to strike, but the young boy/assassin dodges his attack. But the stranger wasn't finished, he pointed his gun-blade at Sora and prepared for an unexpected attack, "FIRE!" The gun-blade shot a ball of flame at Sora, catching him off guard. Sora was blown into a building, and after a while, he tried to gather his senses, but before Sora noticed, the stranger attacked him again, almost cutting his cheek.

"This is pathetic, weren't you raised for this sort of thing? You know, fighting, defense, killing?" The stranger asked, Sora finally regained consciousness and blocked his sword, "I'm not a killer!" Sora kicked the stranger away and asked, "How do you even know about me anyway? Are you a soldier form the military?" The stranger answered, "I'm and soldier in-training, but not from THIS military."

The stranger kicked Sora away and then said, "We've been keeping an eye out for the Keyblade and any suspicious activity ever since..." the stranger was lost in thought for a moment, but shook it off, "It doesn't matter, just stop wasting my time and give the Keyblade to me!". Sora then asked, "Why is the Avenger so important to you anyway? Just who are you?" the stranger replied, "Leon, Leon Leonhart, I came to get the 'Avenger' so that we can find a way to restore our home."

Sora then said, "Leon, huh? Look pal, I don't know about what happened to you're home, but after attacking me, I can't exactly trust you're resolve. Besides, I hate bullies and thieves." Leon replied, "I don't really give a crap about what you believe in or what you trust, as long as you give me what I want, I won't care." Leon swiftly kicked the Avenger out of Sora's hands and attacks him, slicing through his coat.

Sora saw his opportunity and grabbed Leon's coat by the fluffy collar and threw him over his shoulders into a lamp post. Sora then charges at Leon with his Avenger, but Leon was quick to counter his attack by grabbing Sora by the shirt and tossing him. Leon stood up and prepared for another Fire attack, "FIRE" and then, another gout of flame burst out of the Gun-blade, heading for Sora, but Sora wasn't just going to allow Leon to take him by surprise again.

So he waited for the Fire attack to approach him, and after a few seconds, Sora took a mighty swing from the Avenger and batted the Fire back at Leon, who was blown into a wall. "GOTCHA!" Sora said, but to his surprise, Leon came out, despite the wound on his shoulder, he looked alright. Leon dusted his shoulder off and said, "I should've known you'd be this tough, you were trained for assassination after all."

Sora stood up and replied, "I'm not an assassin, I'm a bodyguard!" Leon asked, "A bodyguard? YOU? Pfff, yeah right. From what I've heard, all Y. O. U. T. H. orphans were trained to be assassins. I've never heard of a Y. O. U. T. H. bodyguard before. So who are you trying to protect?" Sora replies, "Like I'd tell you. You tried to kill me for a sword!"

Leon then said, "That is no ordinary sword in you're hand, you're Avenger has become the legendary Keyblade, a sword of purity and honor. It chooses it's host through the strength and courage of the heart. You were lucky to be given that weapon, but play time's over." Sora smiled, "Since when do I play around?"

Sora throws the Avenger like a boomerang at Leon, Leon dodges it and tries to grab it, but then, Sora caught him off guard with a right hook and then a left. Leon was actually amazed at how Sora was familiar, not only with swordsmanship, but hand-to-hand combat as well. Leon smiles, "So, you're not holding back? I guess going easy on you won't cut it." Leon wipes the blood from his lip and bawls his fists, "No more kid games, lets do this."

Sora then noticed something behind Leon, "Uh, before we do that, you might want to look out for-"

SMACK!

Leon's head was instantly hit by the Avenger, which came back to Sora, "...that."

Leon yells, "WHAT THE HELL IS WRONG WITH YOU? You almost broke my head open!" Sora puts his Avenger away, "Sorry about that. I didn't know that it could come back like that." Leon then said, "You're kidding right? You really didn't know that the Keyblade bonds with it's wielder? YOU CLUMBSY LITTLE PRICK!"

Sora replied, "Hey, can it alright? I'm still new to this whole 'Keyblade Wielder' stuff!" Leon laughs, "HA, you're telling me! You won't let go of a sword that you were never meant to wield, it's ridiculous!" Sora took a deep breath and said, "(sigh) Look, Instead of fighting each other, why don't you tell me where you home is so that we can fix the problem? I'm sure that I can help you with what happened to you're home."

Sora dismisses his Keyblade and continues, "If it's at all consolation, I also lost my home. You can thank the Golems for that. They destroyed Destiny Islands, set fire to the orphanage, messed with my best friend and took him away. And they probably took the other orphans to! What's worse is that I can't do a single thing to save them, I have to follow my orders and wait for the military to give me permission! But what the military usually does is help people right? So maybe if you go and let them know about what happened to you're home, they can...no, WE can help you. You just..need to have a little faith and believe in me, that's all. What do you say?"

Leon shakes his head, "Look Sora...I'm sorry, but you can't expect them to come to the rescue for someone like me. I'm an illegal alien, an unregistered citizen from another country, the only help they can offer someone like me is helping me into a cell for 20, maybe 30 years." Leon points his blade at Sora and said, "There's no use pleading for a cease-fire Sora. I need that Keyblade, I WANT that Keyblade! And if you're not going to hand it over, then I'll-!"

Sora interrupts, "I need the Avenger too Leon. I told you earlier, I lost my home and my friends, but the Avenger's new abilities can help me find them. So if you're willing to kill me for my sword, then all I can say is...bring it on!" But just before they could begin the fight, a voice was heard, "Leon, hold you're breath!" Leon and Sora then noticed a smoke bomb landing between them. Leon takes a deep breath and steps back, while Sora was blinded by the smoke, "Wait...this...isn't...s...mo..."

Leon watches as the smoke disappeared, and right before him, was an unconscious Sora, sleeping like a baby.

"Jeez, you're slipping Leon. We can't afford to waste time, remember?"

Leon turned around and saw a young girl with small black hair, wearing a black bandanna, a large gauntlet on her left arm, and a gigantic kunai on her back. "Yuffie? Who said you could follow me?" Leon asked, Yuffie replied, "Aeris did, you stubborn dope! She was worried about you're safety, so she sent me as you're back-up."

Leon turned away, "Since when did I need back-up? Besides, this kid was more than enough for me to handle." Yuffie then took Sora's arm and carried him on her back, "Sure Squall, whatever you say." Leon gave her a sharp look, "It's Leon." Yuffie shook her head, "You can pretend all you want, but you're still Squall, no matter how many times you deny it."

As Yuffie takes Sora away, Squall takes out a small crest, in the shape of a lion. He looked at it with a concentrated look, "The only thing that I've denied...was my own weak heart."

Meanwhile, in Mustang's office, the colonel was doing his late-night work by signing paperwork, going over trial cases, and so on. Mustang's eyes began to tire out, looking at these countless sheets of paper. One signature after another, he was starting to drift to sleep when suddenly, his phone rang. Mustang picks up the phone and answers, "(yawn)Who is this?" The phone then answered, "Colonel Mustang? It's me, Grace!" Mustang rubs his eyes and said, "Grace, why are you calling me at 2:45?"

Grace replied, "Mustang, it's the creatures that attacked Destiny Islands, they've arrived in Central, and are currently chasing Sora! Maes is going after them, but I'm afraid he might get hurt, or worse!" Mustang realized the urgency of the situation, and stood up from his desk, "That idiot! Those things tore a whole town apart for Gods sake! He'll get himself killed!"

Mustang rubbed his eyes and said, "Don't worry Grace, I'll assist you're husband as soon as I get the soldiers and prepare them for battle." Grace replied, "Thank you Mustang, I can see why you and Maes are such good friends." Mustang replied, "Ever since our Junior year. Good night Grace." He comes out of his office and notices Hawkeye waiting for him, "From the way you talked to Grace, I guess that means the creatures from Destiny Islands have arrived." Mustang smiled and put his gloves on, "Get the others, tell them the Golems have arrived!"

Meanwhile, in Rin's Travel Agency, Donald, Goofy, Rin and Aeris returned, disappointed that they had not encountered any Golems, or found the new Keyblade Master. Rin walked back over to the cashier desk, where he continued waiting for Leon to return, and Donald started pacing back and forth, complaining. Aeris asked, "Did Leon come back?" Rin looked around and shook his head, "It's been about two hours, maybe the new Keyblade Master was too much for him." Aeris turned to the door and said, "I hope they're alright."

Goofy asks Donald, "Uh Donald, what are you doing?" Donald replied, "Waiting, that's what I'm doing. And that's what I'll be doing until this 'Leon' arrives! Where is he anyway? He's sure taking his sweet time looking for some stupid kid!" Donald then stopped walking and turned to Goofy, "GAH, I've had it! Goofy, let's go! We can't depend on these people to help us! We're going out there again, and this time-!"

Donald heads for the door, determined to look for the Keyblade Master, but Aeris tried to stop him, "Donald, please, you have to be patient a little more. Leon will come back with the Keyblade Master, he's never been the type of man to fail." Donald replied, "Well he failed, doll-face! And I'm not waiting for his big fat sorry-!" Just then, as Donald was about to open the door, the door smashed into his face, knocking him unconscious.

Leon and Yuffie entered the building, with an unconscious Sora in their grasp. Aeris ran over and hugged Leon and Yuffie, "You're alright! I was so worried!" Leon pushed Aeris away and said, "T-take it easy Aeris, you could have choked me to death!" Aeris smiled, "I'm sorry, I was just a little..." Yuffie throws Sora to Leon and walks over to Aeris. She pats Aeris on the shoulder and says, "You worry too much, Aeris. After all, it'll take more than a little squirt like him to take me down!"

Leon then notices Goofy trying to wake a dizzy Donald, "So, these are the guys that wanted us to look for this kid?" Donald then woke up and noticed Leon in front of him, "IT WAS YOU! You slammed the door right into my face! What kinda lunkhead would be so clumsy as to smash into an innocent bystander, huh?" Leon gave Donald a glare, "What?" Donald replied, "Uh...I...well...I'm Donald Sir Leon, it is an honor to meet you. And this here is Goofy."

Goofy extends his hand to Leon, "Nice to meet you (ahyuk)." Creeped out by Goofy's appearance, Leon stepped back a bit and replied, "Uh, I'd shake you're hand and all, but my hands are kinda full at the moment." Rin then said, "Perhaps you should put the Keyblade Master in a room. We have plenty of time to wait, and plenty of time to talk, I've just received some disturbing news..."

Meanwhile, Crimson arrived at his castle and pushed the door open. As he walked inside, he shifted his eyes around, looking for something, "HONEY, I'M HOME! (sigh) It's amazing what a few years could do to the place." Crimson then walked over to the stairs and noticed a broken vase on the ground. He licks his finger and touches the broken vase, and then, the vase was miraculously restored.

"Father Time's a bitch...MY bitch." Crimson places the vase on a small table and throws some roses he found inside it. He then noticed the entire entrance hall nearly destroyed, "Hmm, It would seem that my castle has seen better days. Let's fix this travesty." Crimson then claps his hands and out of them, a large shadow stretches through the castle.

As the shadow touched broken areas and objects, the shadow takes the broken pieces and puts them back together. Crimson watched his shadow restore the entrance hall, and as he walked up the stairs, he looked around himself as each destroyed part of his palace was slowly restored.

A few minutes later, Crimson reached his throne room, where thousands of books were kept inside towering shelves, angels were staked up to make magnificent pillars, and each right hand of the angels were holding candles, the floor had a large, round carpet, where large alchemic ruins were sewn in. And right before him, was his throne, sitting before him, waiting for it's master. And behind the throne, was an enormous window, where Crimson could see thousands of clouds drifting below his castle, and as he looked up, he saw the sun, shining brightly.

Crimson sat in his throne and rested his chin on his left knuckle, looking around, with a satisfied glare, "How wonderful it is to return to such a decor like my kingdom? It's like they say, 'A man's home is his castle'."

End of Chapter 15

* * *

**Next Chapter: Edward discovers a sinister secret, while Sora has a chance to meet his captors.**

**Please Comment.  
**


	16. Chapter 16

**Last time, Edward Elric's younger brother, Alphonse Elric, arrived at a Mechanical Castle, where the most briliant minds in the military create new weapons and invensions to assist in the coming days of war. When he arrived, Al met with the one who required the Fullmetal Alchemist as an escort, the lead scientist, Huskisson, who believed Al was the Fullmetal himself.**

**Meanwhile, in a small area of Central City called Traverse Town, Sora was challenged by Leon, who was eager to take the Avenger away from him to restore his home. The battle ended, but not in Sora's favor. Yuffie, an ally of Leon, used sleeping gass to stop the young Keyblade Master in his tracks. They brought him back to Rin's Travel Agency, where Donald and Goofy were waiting.**

**And in a desolate area, the mysterious Crimson walked into his old castle and reconstructed it. After walking up the stairs and casting his magic on the castle, he reached his throne room, where he sat triumphantly, and so, he began to plan his comback...**

**Warning: Kingdom Hearts and Fullmetal Alchemist are both licensed by Square-Enix. The secondary licenses for both franchises are Disney (Kingdom Hearts), Aniplex, Bones Inc., and Funimation (Fullmetal Alchemist). **

**PS: There will be spoilers.**

* * *

Fullmetal Kingdom: The Fanfic

Chapter 16: Discovery of Danger

Inside the Mechanical Castle, Alphonse was guided by Professor Huskisson, who was leading him through the halls toward his latest creation for war. Alphonse then asked, "So, uh, Professor, what is this invention you've created?" Huskisson replied, "Hmm? Asking questions in such a polite manner? And here, I thought you'd be an angry little boy with a short temper." Alphonse replied, "You'd be surprised."

Huskisson then explained, "Well, since you've come for my little project, I might as well tell you. It's not a simple weapon...it's a revolution of technology! My brilliance and hard work have finally paid off, for I may have created the ultimate weapon, it's power is more than anyone can hold within a simple hand grenade. It's power can even topple a tank, no, two hundred men, NO, two THOUSAND men, NO NO NO, an entire city!"

Alphonse tapped the professor on the shoulder, "Are you alright Professor?" Huskisson snapped out of his delusions and replied, "Oh, sorry, sometimes my brilliance can drive even my pride crazy. After all, what waits for us through these halls can probably change the world!"

Meanwhile, as Al was following Huskisson, Edward was sneaking through the inner hull of the island, attempting to look for clues to the Philosopher Stone. He thought, _Not a creature stirring, where the hell is everyone?_ Ed walked through the hall when suddenly, a door with Huskisson's name on it caught his eyes.

_This must be his laboratory._ Edward thought, _Now lets see what's in Santa's Workshop._ Ed slowly opens the door into Huskisson's laboratory, where he found scattered papers, writing on the walls, and a small furnace to keep the room warm. After looking at the writing on the walls, Ed thought, _This guy's clearly not a social person._ He then bent down and collected the papers, _Maybe something in these papers can give a clue about the Philosopher Stone!_

Ed looked through the papers, but each piece of paper was filled with blueprints and journal entries on something called, Uranium. "Hmm, must be Huskisson's latest-." Edward then noticed a news article behind one of the papers, it was an article about a small town called Xenotime. The article mentions that in the town, there will be a miraculous event, the re-creation of the Philosopher Stone!

The Fullmetal Alchemist smiled, "JACKPOT!" He then took the article and placed it into his pocket, but then, something caught his eye...blood.

A small blood stain was on the article, and as he looked, he noticed small particles of blood were also on the papers he put down. He looked at the floor and noticed a very large blood stain! He even saw some of the words on the walls written in blood! Edward started feeling his spine tingle with fear.

"Oh my God...Huskisson's a murderer! CRAP! Alphonse is with him! So if he...I gotta hurry!"

Back in Central, people were shrieking out in terror, as the Golems were wreaking havoc and attacking innocent civilians. Tens of thousands were crawling on buildings, sneaking into windows, and attacking the people inside. Some of the Golems however just stole priceless accessories and armor from collectors, pawn shops, and stores.

During the attack, two kids were running to their mother, when out of nowhere, a Golem jumped behind them and kidnapped them. "MY BABIES!" The mother screamed as she saw them carried away by the black creature. But suddenly, a bullet went through the Golem's head, and it let the children go, Hawkeye was the one who pulled the trigger.

The two kids ran to their mother, who thanked Hawkeye by nodding to her, then they ran for their life. A soldier approaches Hawkeye and said, "Nice shooting, 'Tex'!" Hawkeye then asked, "Is now a good time to joke around Havoc?" Havoc then asked, "So what are these things?" Hawkeye replied while reloading, "Golems. Genuine man made puppets. We have reason to believe that they served Cornello while he was masquerading as a priest, and that they were responsible for the devastation of Destiny Islands." Havoc's eyes widened as he heard the news, "Those cockroaches? But they're so small-!"

Just as Havoc was about to finish, he and Hawkeye heard a monstrous roar from above them, as well as in front of them! They looked around the area, and saw tens of thousands of Golems crawling downwards from many buildings. And to their surprise, an entire army of Golems were rushing through the street right at them. Havoc sweated and said, "(gulp)I guess...big things come in small packages, huh?" Hawkeye aimed at them with her rifle and said, "Damn right."

Meanwhile, Sora was kept inside a room in Rin's Travel Agency, where Aeris, Yuffie, Donald, and Goofy were watching over him, waiting for him to wake up. Donald smiled, "We did it Goofy! We finally have the Keyblade Master with us! Now we can find the president and get the heck outta here!" Goofy replied, "Uh Donald, I don't think it'll be that simple. This kid doesn't know about Genomes, if he wakes up, he could be surprised when he sees us." Donald replied, "We'll just explain to him about our predicament, and how he should keep all this a secret."

Aeris then interrupted, "I'm afraid it's not going to be easy to recruit him. He does belong to the military after all." Donald was outraged, "SO WHAT? Soldiers are soldiers, we can take the kid with us! And if the kid's missing, they'll just find another to replace him!" Yuffie interrupted, "Destiny Islands was torched, remember? That was where the Y. O. U. T. H. Orphanage was located. So now that Destiny Islands is an overgrown BBQ, the military won't be so willing to let go of him."

Donald's feathery head was turning red as he heard the facts. So he stormed out, "Fine, thanks for nothing you big palookas!" As Donald left, Yuffie asked, "So...is a Palooka some sort of insult or is it some kind of instrument?" Goofy answered, "Well actually-."

"GOOFY! WE'RE LEAVING!"

Goofy stood up and rushed, "Donald wait, we don't have to go, we can still talk to him about-!" Donald replied, "Why bother? He's a loyal, hard working little bed wetter who is literally owned by this country's government! These people will be arrested for kidnapping a soldier, we can't use him to find the president, and we'll NEVER LEAVE THIS GOD FORSAKEN PLACE!"

As Donald and Goofy left, Aeris shook her head in disappointment, "We can't just let them walk out there, who knows what will happen?" Yuffie then said, "Don't worry Aeris, we can count on Squall to help us out when that happens!" Suddenly, Leon came into the room and said, "Rin's been listening to plenty of gossip from Destiny Islands. And it seems-" Yuffie then interrupted and said, "And besides, you have the beautiful White Rose of Wutai here to help, for a reasonable price of course."

Leon then said, "Pff, like 50 grand? You'll probably slack off again." Yuffie answered, "Shyaddap! I'm not like that! I'm special!" Leon argued, "No you're not. The last time you were paid, was when you were the lookout for you're village. They paid you 200 yen so that you'd keep you're eyes peeled for intruders. Next morning, the chief of the village found you snoring on the job and reading guy magazines while the village was caught on fire, attacked by bandits, and almost eaten alive by a giant rabbit named Timmy! YOU ARE A TERRIBLE LOOKOUT!"

Yuffie replied, "That may be, but I take pride in that. I am, after all, a ninja in training!" Leon replied, "Yeah, a sucky ninja." Yuffie jumps on Leon and bites his head multiple times, "TAKE-IT-BACK, TAKE-IT-BACK, TAKE-IT-BACK!" Aeris laughed at them and said, "(giggle) Like brother and sister." Leon grabbed Yuffie and threw her out of the room like a bag of potatoes and said, "You're kidding right? If I had a sister, she wouldn't be a money-grubbing pickpocket like HER!"

"MONEY-GRUBBING PICKPOCKET? Oh, you are SO DEAD!"

Yuffie grabs Leon and kicks him in the butt many times. Aeris then stands up and says, "Yuffie, I'm going to make something for Sora to eat when he wakes up. Can you and Leon keep him company?" Yuffie stopped pulling on Leon's ears and replied, "Alright, I'll keep him company. In the meantime, could you make some wassabe soup and a diet Elixir? I'm starving!"

Aeris smiled, "I'll see what I can do. Leon, would you like something?" Leon replied, "Just an Orange Potion, thank you." Aeris nods and leaves the room. Yuffie sits next to Sora and gets out a book, "Once upon a time, there was a boy who woke up because people needed him. And guess what, you're that little boy, yes you are...NOW WAKE UP!" Yuffie said while shaking Sora's unconscious form.

Leon stopped Yuffie, "Don't bother, the fight took a lot out of him. It's hard to believe that he's that strong, and yet, is still ranked a failure at his orphanage." Yuffie smiled, "Maybe you didn't get much sleep, or maybe your sick, or maybe your just as bad as he is." Leon gripped Yuffie's shoulder, "Cut it out little girl."

Yuffie was so surprised by Leon's angry face, that she just turned away and kept to herself, until she said, "...you suck." Leon replied, "I DO NOT!" Yuffie stood up in front of him and stuck her tongue out, "Yes you do, so NYAAAA!"

"...ne..."

Yuffie and Leon stopped fighting and looked at Sora, who was talking while sleeping. Leon then said, "He must be dreaming." Yuffie walked over to Sora, "What's a 'ne' anyway? Some kind of soup?" Leon shook his head, "'Nay' is another word for 'no' you dim-witted pick-pocket, and would you PLEASE stop asking stupid questions?"

"MAKE ME FAT-HEAD!"

Inside his dream, Sora stood up and looked around. He was surrounded by nothingness and shadow. He tried to call out for help, but to his surprise, his voice wouldn't come out. He tried to speak again, but his voice would still be silent.

"...you did this..."

Sora looked behind him and saw a mysterious shadowy creature, like a Golem, appear before him. But the monster started to change into something more savage, something that looked almost like Sora himself! Sora stepped back but he was grabbed by another shadow version of himself, and then, from the ground, more of them appeared they all pointed at Sora, each one saying a different thing...

"...killer..." "...liar..." "...bastard..." "...murderer..."

Just when one of them called Sora a murderer, the others repeated the word. Sora was pushed to one, then pushed to another, back and forth, from one to another, Sora was being tossed around like a toy. Then the creatures started clawing him, biting him, spitting on him, all the while saying that he was a murderer! Sora tried to break free, but the monsters were too strong for him, so he tried once again to speak, "...it...stop...it...STOP IT! Let me go! I'm not a murderer!" The creatures then froze, they stopped tossing and hurting Sora, but they still wouldn't let him go!

"...yes...you...are..."

Sora recognized the voice, and froze in terror. A few steps away, he saw something emerge from the floor, it was rising like a liquid, and it repeated what it said earlier, "Yes...you are..." The creature's appearance was finally revealed to be a girl stained in black ooze. She danced toward Sora, giggling and laughing while repeating, "(giggle) yes...you...are...yes you are...(giggle)...yes..." She finally came in front of Sora, grabbed him, and shrieked

"_**YES YOU ARE!**_"

"NAMINE!" Sora screamed as he woke up! Leon and Yuffie were surprised to see the young assassin cry out in terror with such a frightened face. Yuffie came up to him and asked, "Namine? Who are you talking about? I'm the great ninja, Yuffie. Greater than that Shadow guy at least." Sora slowly looked at her, then he looked at where he was. Sora was inside a green room, with Chocobo decorations.

Sora wiped the tears from his eyes, "I'm not...I would never..." Yuffie then looked at Leon and said, "Great, I think you gave him brain damage Squall." Leon replies, "That's Leon." Sora then noticed Leon standing near him, he jumped off the bed and attacked him! Leon tried to reason with him, "Calm down kid! I'm not going to hurt you!"

Leon then took out his gun blade and dropped it on the ground, and kicked it away, "See? I'm not armed anymore, I'm not going to fight you, OK?" Yuffie then said, "Besides, you can't really harm anyone without your precious Keyblade." She said as she pointed to the Avenger, sitting on a chair.

Sora realized that he couldn't escape them, so he sat down on the bed and looked down, with a miserable look on his face. Yuffie then asked, "If you want, I could give you the Keyblade so that you and Leon could continue-" Sora then said, "Just...go away, please."

Leon came over to Sora and said, "I don't know why you freaked out, but we're not enemies. We just wanted to talk with you about the Key- uh, I mean, Avenger." Sora replied, "I'm not in the mood to talk, alright?" Yuffie sat next to Sora and said, "Well, too bad, 'cause we want to talk." Leon then asked, "You said a name earlier. 'Namine', right? So who is she?"

Sora turned away and said, "No one you need to know about." Leon replied, "Look, you have allot of issues right now, and it's hard to deal with them. But I know that the best way to get rid of a painful feeling like that, is to talk to someone." Sora looked at him and asked, "And why should I tell you ANYTHING about her?" Leon smiled and replied, "...because that's what friends do. They help each other out. And...I want to be your friend, and so does she." Sora looked at Yuffie, who was also smiling, "By the way, sorry about the sneak attack." so Sora sighed, and said, "...It's a bit fuzzy, but I remember her barely. She was...a special friend."

Meanwhile, Donald and Goofy were walking outside in their cloaks. Goofy asked, "Donald, where are we going?" Donald replied, "We're going to look for the president, and we'll do it without those idiots. We don't need a Keyblade to find him, we don't even need a bunch of teenagers helping us!"

Just then, a crowd of people were running through the street in fear. Donald and Goofy watched as the citizens ran for their lives, "Gwarsh, I wonder what could have scared them?" Suddenly, a loud sound was heard. The two Genomes looked toward the direction where the sound was coming from, and to their surprise, they were covered by a gigantic shadow. Donald then answered Goofy's question, "...that."

End of Chapter 16

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**Next chapter: Crimson begins his move, while Alphonse discovers Huskisson's invention.**

**Please comment.  
**


	17. Chapter 17

**Last time, Huskisson's intentions become clear as he guides Alphonse through the Castle halls, even a single thought of his newest invention's capabilities make the old scientist eager to see blood. And speaking of which, Edward's discovery of an upcoming Philosopher Stone in Xenotime from a news article leads him to discover something more unbelievable...blood inside of Huskisson's lab.**

**Back in Central City, more Golems arrived and started attacking innocent people while looking for the new Keyblade Master, Sora, who was held captive inside of Rin's Travel Agency. It was there that Sora had the chance to speak with Leon and Yuffie, who became concerned about him when he spoke the name of an old friend while he was dreaming...**

**"Namine"**

**Meanwhile, Donald, who was furious at the notion of Sora not helping him and Goofy, left the Travel Agency and took a walk around town. Goofy followed from behind, but the two Genomes had a sudden encounter with an enormous creature...**

**Warning: Kingdom Hearts and Fullmetal Alchemist are both licensed by Square-Enix. The secondary licenses for both franchises are Disney (Kingdom Hearts), Aniplex, Bones Inc., and Funimation (Fullmetal Alchemist). **

**PS: There will be spoilers.**

* * *

Fullmetal Kingdom: The Fanfic

Chapter 17: Heartless Machinations

Inside his castle, Crimson was relaxing on his throne while drinking a small amount of cherry wine from a small delicate glass. He was reading Moby Dick, a book about a wooden legged man seeking revenge on an enormous whale. After another sip of wine, Crimson said, "Go get your whale, Ahab. Go get your whale."

Just then, Crimson realized something, "Hmm, my pets are still absent." Crimson then stood up and summoned a large transmutation circle that looked like a broken mirror. He walked toward it and clapped his hands, and then he touched one of the empty spaces, and like magic, it revealed to him the location of a group of heartless.

"Well well well, a couple of runaways? Lets see if there's more of you." The large villain then touched more empty spaces, and in each of them, he saw a different location of the city and more Golems doing random acts of cruelty. Crimson scratched his chin and asked, "No where, oh where, can you all be?" Crimson then waved his hand and made the images on the transmutation zoom out, and after a few seconds, the entire city was shown to him.

Crimson then said to himself, "It would seem my former servants have taken refuge in Central City. But why?" Crimson dismissed the circle and walked around his room, thinking to himself, pondering about any possibilities. He then stopped and said, "Obviously, while I was gone, someone of equal malice has taken possession of my little troglodytes. And by the way my pets have been acting in that poor excuse of a city, they must have been commanded to look for a source of power that threatens theirs! But who, or what, could-" Just then, Crimson's eyes widened with realization. He knew what they were after.

"If they're looking for anyone, it has to be one of equal power...like a Keyblade Wielder! Possibly the same one who released me from my prison with his blood! Or perhaps...(sigh) oh irony, it can be quite...delicious."

Back in Central, Sora was telling his captures, Leon and Yuffie about what he knows about his old friend. Leon asked, "So, what you're saying is, Namine was someone you once knew when you were a child?" Sora nodded his head, "Yes, I vaguely remember her, but I do know that I was friends with a girl like her before I was adopted into Y. O. U. T. H."

Yuffie then asked, "Well, aside from the girl, what else do you remember?" Sora replied, "Nothing. All I can remember is her name, her blond hair, that's all. My mind was a blank after that." Leon then said, "Well, this Namine person sounds like someone very important to you. Do you know where she is now?" Sora replied, "No."

Yuffie became a little irritated, "You're not even going to try and remember her house? Pfff, some friend you are." Sora looked at her with an upset look, "I don't remember anything except Namine's name and hair, weren't you listening?" Yuffie replied with a dumb look, "Nope!" Leon patted Sora on the shoulder, "Don't take it seriously Sora, she's just like that sometimes." Yuffie looked at Leon and said, "And you're just a sexist emo piece of crap!" Leon argued, "AM NOT!

Sora smiled and began to laugh at them, Leon and Yuffie looked at Sora and asked, "WHAT ARE YOU LAUGHING AT?" Sora stopped laughing and explained, "S-sorry, you two acted like you were related to each other, you know, like brother and sister." Yuffie giggled and said, "Yeah, and Leon's the little brother!" Leon replied, "Shut up Yuffie!"

Sora smiled and said, "You know, it's been a while since I've seen other people talk like they were family, it's like-...n-never mind." Yuffie asked, "Hey come on, what were we like?" Sora replied, "Nothing, I was just remembering the orphanage. I hope everyone's doing alright." Leon then said, "Look, if it helps you relax...(sigh) while we're trying to save our home, we'll help you look for the other orphans. Alright?"

Sora replied, "That coming form the guy that would have killed me for MY weapon. Look, I'm not going to help you, alright? It's that simple, you attacked me, you kidnapped me, and now you're acting like none of that ever happened? Get lost!"

Yuffie tried to explain, "Hey look, I know Leon's a bit of a dick (Leon: "HEY!"), but the thing is, we had to get the Keyblade away from you. You see, now that you have the Keyblade-" Sora interrupts, "It's called the Avenger, lady." Yuffie yelled, "SHYADDAP-I-DON'T-CARE! (ahem) Anyway, now that you have the Keyblade, those things, the Golems, will come after you." Leon shook his head, "We had to get you away from the street so that you wouldn't attract their attention. But keeping you here won't work for long."

Leon then said, "It's still hard to believe that you, of all people, are the chosen one. Well, I suppose beggars can't be choosers, right?" Sora then told him, "Chosen? Me? Sorry, but I wasn't chosen by the Keyblade." Leon gave a confused look at Sora, "What?" Sora continued, "That's right, my Avenger was fuzed with a dinky little keychain with mystical properties given to me by someone with big ears. It was the weirdest thing I ever saw."

Yuffie looked at Leon and asked, "Big ears? Could he be talking about-" Leon replied, "That was the president!" Sora asked, "President? Who are you guys talking about?" Leon and Yuffie were going to explain, until, a young woman stepped inside, "I'll tell you everything you need to know." "Aeris!" Leon said as he saw her come through the door.

Aeris grabs a chair and sits in front of Sora, "First, let's introduce ourselves. We know that you are Sora, but you have no idea who we are, right? My name is Aeris Gainsborough, I'm a flower girl, working to raise money for equipment and supplies." Yuffie interrupts, "She's also the tactical leader of our team! Well, as for me, I'm the best of their team, the White Rose of Wutai, the greatest Ninja of all time, as well as the stealthiest thief EVAAA...Yuffie Kisaragi! No need for applause ladies and gents."

Yuffie then points toward Leon, "Oh, and this is our muscle-headed meat head, Squall Leonhart."

"(sigh) Once again...Leon."

Sora gave a mean look at Leon, "Yeah, we've met." Aeris tries to change the subject, "OK, look, you know that there are many other states and countries out there, besides Destiny Islands and Central City, right?" Sora nodded, confirming that Aeris was correct. Aeris continued, "A few years ago, our home was one of those states, but...when the Heartless came, everything changed."

Sora asked, "The Heartless?" Yuffie explained, "They didn't know about alchemy in they're home, the people in their state were all techno freaks and scientists who didn't pay much interest in the subject. We didn't even know about the Golems until a few days ago. Back then, when we were younger, we just knew them as the Heartless." Leon interrupted, "They were known as 'those without hearts', empty bodies, who were controlled like puppets by men and women who sold their souls to evil."

Yuffie then said, "The dark emotions in people's hearts, that's what attracts a Golem." Leon then finished what Yuffie was saying, "And there is darkness...within every heart."

Sora raised his eyebrow in disbelief, "So, what you're saying is...if we turn off all the lights in this room, the 'darkness' will hurt us?" Aeris corrects Sora, "No, it's nothing like that. We meant the disturbances in you're heart like...well...OK, imagine if someone you loved was taken from you. Through death, there will always be grief. As you feel grief, you're heart brings out negativity. Golems will be attracted to negative feelings like loneliness, fear, and even jealousy. When a one of them finds you, they'll either eat you alive, or take over you're body."

Sora was a little confused, "So...it doesn't have to do with any magic?" Aeris replies, "Nope." Sora scratches his head in amazement, "This is...just too much to take in." Just then, another person walked in, "Well my friend, that makes two of us. Forgive me for coming in unannounced, my name is Rin, I am an entrepreneur who runs a travel agency. THIS travel agency."

Rin then said, "It's alright young man, I am actually a member of their team. In fact, there's more than just the four of us. There are many of us, fighting the good fight against the ones who robbed us of our homeland!" Sora asked, "Is he really a member of you're group?" Leon nodded his head, "Yep, he provides us with a hideout. Sadly, it's the ONLY thing he could do." Rin pouted, "N-no it's not!"

Yuffie then asked, "Just asking, but, Sora, have you ever heard the name, Ansem?"

Sora looked at her and answered, "No, never. Who is he?" Aeris explained, "He was our leader, the wiseman of our home. He was also a brilliant researcher who studied the Golems, and how to control, or destroy them. He also called them 'Heartless' in our town, so don't get too confused." Sora asked, "Confused of what?" Aeris answered, "When Ansem's research has information on Heartless, it means he has info on Golems."

"What research?" Sora asked, Aeris replied, "Well, you see, Ansem recorded all his research and findings in a very detailed report." Sora stood up in amazement, "So this Ansem wrote down information on the Golems? Awesome! Maybe there's a clue to stopping those monsters! Where are those reports?" Yuffie answered, "Dunno, it's pages were scattered before we could find them."

"Scattered?" Sora sat back down in disappointment, "Then there isn't any way we can stop them."

Meanwhile, at Mechanical Castle, Alphonse follows Huskisson to a large door. Huskisson smiled and said, "This is it, THIS is what I wanted to show you my friend! Behind this door, lies the ultimate trump card for war!" He then proceeded into opening the door.

Behind the door, Al saw a large room, and at the end of it, was a small vase-like object, sitting on a mechanical table. Huskisson walked next to it and said, "Behold, the object I spoke of. Thanks to our progress with the steam engine, we've excavated deeper than ever, found new minerals, and refined them, creating revolutionary sources of fuel! And it was in THAT search for industrial power that we've discovered it! The ultimate element, by splitting it's atoms, massive amounts of energy are released! I've chosen to call this powerful element **Uranium**."

After his explanation, Huskisson flipped a few switches on a control panel to release the Uranium. Huskisson picked it up and walked over to Al, "As a respected ambassador of the military, please help me bring this bomb to the attention of Central Command." Al replied, "...no."

Huskisson was disturbed by Al's answer, "W-what? But I'm-" Alphonse interrupted, "You're plan has ultimate potential, but ultimately, all you've made is another weapon for war. That's the last thing our country needs. Sorry, but I won't introduce you." Huskisson yelled, "By what right do you have to disobey me? We're part of the same military, and as an ambassador, I out rank you, 'State Alchemist' Edward Elric!" Alphonse replied, "I'm sorry, but it was the colonel's orders. I will not introduce you're bomb to them!"

Alphonse then started to walk towards the exit, when suddenly, Huskisson asked, "Is the young and promising State Alchemist afraid?" Al turned around to answer, but before he could, four sections of the floor rose up and held Al where he was, keeping him from moving.

It was a trap set up by Huskisson, and Al fell for it!

Al tried to break free, but then, out of two walls, came thin drills, Huskisson laughed and said, "You give such lofty speeches, but you're REAL reasons are clear! The state only gives you authority because of you're alchemic power! You were so scared, that a weapon like THIS would make you obsolete in war! And without that leverage, the alchemist's stranglehold on this state will vanish! Now, let's see what the 'Alchemist of the People' really looks like!"

Huskisson grabbed two handles on the control panel and pushed them forward, making the drills plunge right into Alphonse's body! After that, Al's helmet came off, and as soon as the sections of the floor came back down to the ground, Al's body fell as well. Huskisson walked over towards Al and gloated, "HAHAHAHAAA! Are you really so fragile? A hack in a cheap suit of armor?"

But before he could continue gloating, Huskisson noticed that his latest victim's armor was hollow. There was nothing inside, Huskisson walked over towards where the head should be, and to his amazement, there wasn't anything to see inside, not even a hint of a corpse. He said to himself, "T-this is impossible! It's empty, how could that be? It couldn't just move on it's own! It's unexplainable! Everything can be explained!"

"HUSKISSON!"

The professor heard someone say his name, so he turned around and saw a small young man with a bubble-like head. The bubble-headed young man (Ed) then said, to Huskisosn, "You've made two big mistakes." Huskisson then asked, "W-what? WHO ARE YOU?"

Just then, Alphonse got up, "Brother, what took you so long? He put holes in me!" Ed replied, "I'm sorry, I got held up." Huskisson interrupted, "GRRR, TELL ME WHO YOU ARE!" Ed then said, "Oh, you're still here? Well anyway, mistake number one! You thought we cared about you're invention, but we only came 'cause you wouldn't shut up about it!"

Huskisson was shocked, "W-what? So what the tall one said about the colonel was-" Ed answered, "That's right, he told us to give you the thumbs down on the deal. Tough break, huh old man? Plus, you're little bomb over there could never help us with our own search."

The professor was steaming mad, hearing what Edward said, he lost his patience, and roared in anger. And then, out of his sleeves, came two drill-like weapons. They both sprung towards Ed, one broke through Ed's helmet while another stabbed Edward's right arm. Huskisson then said, "You'll take me to Central if you value your life!" But to his amazement, Ed's right arm wasn't bleeding, in fact, his drill was having trouble drilling through. Ed grabbed the drill and stopped it. While he was stopping the drill, his glove, and his sleeve were torn off, revealing his automail arm.

"And mistake number 2...that 'young and promising' state alchemist you were looking for...is me."

End of Chapter 17

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**Next chapter: The Elrics dual with the mad man Huskisson, while The military, Sora and his kidnapers deal with a Golem invasion.**

**Please comment.  
**


	18. Chapter 18

**Last time, Crimson begins his search for his former servants, the Golems. But when he located them, he realized they were after something...or someone. It didn't take long for him to know that they were after the same being that released him, the new Keyblade Master.**

**Inside Rin's Travel Agency, Sora was told by Leon and Yuffie about the Golems. The reason they fear the Keyblade and those who would wield them. He was also told about the wiseman who looked after them and their people, Ansem the Wise, he made notes about the Golems and how to stop them, but the notes where mysteriously scattered to different places.**

**Back on the Mechanical Castle, Huskisson revealed his newest creation, as well as his idea of the ultimate weapon, the Uranium Bomb. Huskisson needed an escort to help him introduce his weapon to Central Command, but Al refused, knowing of what the bomb was capable of. Furious, Huskisson used one of the machinations of the castle to attack Alphonse, but to his surprise, Al was an empty suit. And even more miraculous was the fact that the real Fullmetal Alchemist wasn't Al, but a young blond boy with automail parts named EDWARD ELRIC...**

**Warning: Kingdom Hearts and Fullmetal Alchemist are both licensed by Square-Enix. The secondary licenses for both franchises are Disney (Kingdom Hearts), Aniplex, Bones Inc., and Funimation (Fullmetal Alchemist). **

**PS: There will be spoilers.**

* * *

Fullmetal Kingdom: The Fanfic

Chapter 18: Onslaught of Iron

Huskisson stared blankly at the young State Alchemist who appeared before him, "A-a mechanical arm? Automail...so that's what it means! **THE FULLMETAL ALCHEMIST!**"

Edward charges right at Huskisson, as he tries to attack Ed again with another drill weapon. Ed successfully dodges the attack by jumping into the air, and then transmuted his arm once again into a blade, he landed in front of Huskisson, and sliced off his drill weapons.

Huskisson, who could no longer defend himself, was forced to use a gas bomb, filling the entire room with steam, so that the Elrics couldn't see him. He then heads to the control panel and presses a button that opened a secret passageway. Huskisson makes his escape, but then realizes that the Elrics were chasing him through the passageway.

"Get back here you little creep!" Ed said as he chased the mad scientist through the passageway. The two brothers ran through the halls, until they ended up in a large mining facility. Ed and Al looked around for Huskisson, but they couldn't find him anywhere.

"Damn it! He's gone!" Ed said as he stomped his foot. But then, Al noticed something moving, "Brother, look, over there!" Ed looked at the direction Al was pointing and to his amazement, he saw a large machine start to move, then they heard Huskisson's voice, "HA HA HAAA! I'm not going anywhere just yet you fools! Not until I spread what's left of you across the walls!"

The Elric Brothers then saw the machine rise up form the bottomless pit, revealing itself to be a Giant Drill. It was obviously piloted by Huskisson, who then said, "HOW'S THIS FOR A 'TWIST' IN LOGIC?" The Giant Drill aimed right at the Elrics, but the two ran in different directions to dodge it's attack.

Huskisson aimed the Giant Drill at Edward, who was avoiding every attack. But as Huskisson attacked Ed, Al transmuted a ladder to the ceiling. Ed's fancy footwork saved him from another one of Huskisson's raging attacks, but Edward was starting to run out of breath, he managed to dodge another drill attack, but he knew that he couldn't last forever.

Huskisson turned the Giant Drill toward Ed, but suddenly, it stopped moving. Huskisson tried again to control the Giant Drill, but it still wouldn't move. "HEY!" Huskisson heard Al's voice on top of him, and as he looked up, he saw that Al used his alchemy to bring out large hands of stone to stop the Giant Drill's movements.

And to make matters worse for Huskisson, Ed transmuted the Giant Drill into a large ball with Ed's hair and face on it. Ed smiled and said, "Hmph, game over, old man. We win."

Meanwhile, back in Central City, an injured Maes Hughes was surrounded by Golems, he then demanded, "What did you bastards to to my son?" The Golems didn't respond, instead, the came even closer to Hughes.

With his arm bleeding, Hughes couldn't defend himself, so he gritted his teeth, and prepared for the worst...

"Always running off on your own, HUGHES YOU STUBBORN FOOL!"

After Hughes heard the voice, he saw two Golems ignite before him. And then two more were torched, Hughes then heard the voice again, "What are you waiting for? Get out of there!" Hughes got up and escaped the hoard of Golems.

Hughes turned around and saw all the Golems who cornered him burnt to a cinder. But then, two remaining Golems jumped out of the fire and tried to pounce on Hughes. But they were blown to pieces the instant Hughes blinked.

Hughes looked around and noticed someone walking towards him, Hughes smiled and said, "You couldn't pick a better time to use your Flame Alchemy, huh Roy?" Mustang replied, "You make it sound like I was the one who was looking for trouble. Speaking of which..." Mustang then clocked Hughes on the head, "OUCH! Hey, what was that for?" Mustang replied, "For making you're wife call me out here late at night! I still had papers to fill out before the end of this week! And thanks to you're stubborn heroics, I'll get demoted!"

Hughes rubbed his head and said, "Sorry about that. By the way, how many are there?" Mustang replied, "More than a thousand Golems. I'd be willing to guess who their after." Hughes answered, "Sora, right? Do you think Riku's the one pulling their strings?" Mustang replied, "Without a doubt. That Riku kid has gone too far."

Hughes sits down and tries to bandage his arm, "Don't forget though, we need to see if Sora can reason with him." Mustang turned to him and said, "The kid burnt down his orphanage and tried to take Sora with him. And these creatures were with him when it happened. He's a mad dog Hughes, and whether he likes it or not, Sora will have to be the one to put him down."

Hughes finished bandaging his arm and said, "Well, whether it's Riku or not, we still have to find Sora before those monsters do. So lets go." Mustand watched as Hughes walked away, looking for Sora. Hughes stopped and looked at Mustang, "Are you coming?" Mustang smiled and followed his friend further into the city.

At the same time, at Rin's Travel Agency, Sora, Leon, and the others started to notice a sudden black out. Leon stood up and said, "They found us." Sora asked, "Who, the Golems?" Aeris then said, "We have to get out of here!" Sora said, "WAIT! I still haven't decided to join forces with you!" Leon looked at Yuffie, "Yuffie, you and Rin get everyone else out of here. Sora and I will fight the Golems."

Aeris looked at Leon, "Leon, you can't fight them! Those creatures will kill you!" Leon replied, "I'm not letting them get that chance. Aeris, just follow Rin and Yuffie and get out, NOW!" Yuffie takes Aeris by her arm and said, "He's right sister! It's either us or them!" Aeris then said, "Leon, don't be a fool!" Sora then said, "...Don't worry Aeris, I'll help him. You guys may have kidnapped me, but you didn't want me to feel alone when I remembered Kairi. You guys...are really good friends, even if one of you tried to kick my ass for this stupid sword."

Aeris smiled at Sora, "Thank you Sora, thank you." She then runs with Yuffie and Rin to try and evacuate the building.

Sora then turned to Leon, "So the Keyblade, other than you guys, do the Golems want it too?" Leon replied, "Nope, they hate it. The Golems have great fear of the Keyblade. And that's why they'll come after you no matter what." Sora complained, "But I didn't ask for this!" Leon replied, "Tough luck kid. You were given something that could change the world, so suck it up, and take it like a man!" Just then, they heard broken glass, and right in front of them, they saw Golems coming in through the windows.

Sora then asked Leon, "Are you strong enough to deal with them? That fight we had seemed to take a lot out of you." Leon shook his head, "Are you kidding? I should be asking you that." The Golems then attacked Leon, but Leon was quick to defend himself. He blocked their attacks with his sword, and then, he blew two of them out with his Gun-Blade. But suddenly, two more Golems grabbed him and pulled Leon out the window.

Sora cuts through the last three and runs toward the window, "Leon? LEON, WHERE ARE YOU?" Sora looked around as best as he could, but there was no sign of Leon.

"LEEEEEEOOOOOOOOOOON!"

"Yo everybody! Outta the building! Nap time's over, now snap to it! Everybody please leave you're rooms in an orderly fashion!" Yuffie said out loud in the halls. But to her disappointment, no one in Rin's rooms would leave. Rin steps up and said, "Miss Kisaragi, allow me to try something."

Rin then flips the fire alarm, frightening everyone in the building. They all ran out of Rin's Travel Agency, frightened and confused. Yuffie slaps Rin on the back and said, "Well well, I'm impressed Rin, for a crummy hotel owner, your pretty smart!" Rin slightly smiled and said, "Heh heh, your welcome...I guess."

After everyone came out, Rin and Yuffie came out to find a worried Aeris. She turned toward them and asked, "Was that everyone?" Yuffie and Rin gave a thumbs up and said, "YEP, THEY'RE A-OK, BIG MAMA!" Aeris looked around and asked, "What about Sora and Leon?" Yuffie and Rin looked at each other and Yuffie replied, "We didn't see them come out."

"Over here!" Leon said as he was running towards his friends. Aeris hugged Leon, "You're alright!" Leon blushed and said, "Uh, r-right, of course I am!" Yuffie then asked, "But where's the kid with the Keyblade?" Leon replied, "He's still inside, probably fighting off more Golems!"

"I'll go look for him!" Rin said as he placed his goggles on and grabbed his trademark Blitzball, the 'World Champion', and ran into the building. After seeing Rin run back in, the trio heard a familiar voice, "What's all the damn commotion about? Did someone cook the wrong type of beans or what?" Leon, Aeris, and Yuffie turned around and saw someone that lit their faces up in joy, "CID HIGHWIND, IT'S YOU!"

Inside the Travel Agency building, Rin was running through the water-filled halls and stairs, trying to make it back to the room where he last saw Sora. And then, he saw Golems fall down the stairs in front of him, "If you fellows have just arrived here, then that means I'm almost close to Sora." Rin takes out his World Champion, twists the handle on the left side, and then, blades came out of the ball. It looked something like a ball and saw put together.

Rin then yelled in his Ishbalin language"Venom Pass!" And then he threw his World Champion at the Golems and sliced right through them. Rin then pulled his Blitzball out of a wall with a Golem still attached and headed for the room where Sora might still be in.

"Sora?" Rin looked around the room and saw no trace of the young boy, or the Keyblade. Rin started to worry, "Oh dear." But then, he heard clashing sounds coming from a sword. Rin rushes toward a broken window and sees Sora battling a few Golems. But these Golems looked a bit different, they wore pieces of armor, "So, the Golems were the ones stealing accessories and armor pieces from all those stores! But why thievery? Just what are those monsters after?"

Sora kicked a Golem like a soccer ball and then noticed Rin watching, "Rin? What are you doing here?" Rin replied, "I came to find you and bring you to the others!" Sora then said, "I can't do that! These bastards killed Leon!" Rin shook his head, "No they didn't Sora! Leon was just thrown out, he's with the others right now and he's perfectly fine!"

Sora stopped and gave a ridiculous look, "Boy, and I was angry for nothing." he said as he stabbed a Golem through the head.

Rin was shocked after seeing Sora commit such a shocking finishing move, "You...shoved...right through..." Sora looked at the dead Golem, and blushed while taking the Avenger out of it, "W-well the Golems aren't exactly alive, right?"

Rin smiled slightly and said, "W-well maybe you should stop killing these creatures like that. I mean, you kinda look like a barbarian when you do that." Sora was confused, "I do?" Rin nodded his head, "Yes, you do. So if it's not that troublesome, could you just resort to the hacking and slashing instead of the decapitations and stabbings?" Sora thought about it for a few seconds and said, "Nah! I was trained for this kind of stuff after all. See ya!"

Sora then jumped to another building while hunting for more Golems. Rin could only ask himself, "Wait...I thought he was more into protection. So when did he turn into such an animal?" Rin shook off his astonishment and called out, "Sora, those creatures are gathering pieces of armor! If you find out where, then you might find the root of all this trouble!" Sora replied, "Alright, I'll see if I can."

Sora wandered from rooftop to rooftop, defeating each and every Golem he came across, following the trail of the ones with armor on. Sora thought to himself, _If I can pinpoint where these freaks are running from, I might find the big honcho who's responsible!_

Just then, he felt the ground quake beneath his feet. Sora asked himself, "What...was that?" And to his surprise, a few miles in front of him, was a gigantic Golem, made entirely out of metal.

"I'm gonna need a bigger sword..."

In the streets, Hughes and Mustang saw thousands of people running for their lives. Hughes tried to reason with them, "Everyone, stay calm! We have the situation under-"

(THUMP)

Hughes stopped talking for a while after feeling the earth shake. Mustang looked at Hughes and asked, "...control?" Hughes replied, "Well, I'm convinced, lets go!" Mustang grabs Hughes by the collar and asked, "Since when do soldiers run from a fight?" Hughes looked at Mustang with a freaked out look, "Mustang? Didn't you hear the giant footsteps?" Mustang answered, "Please, it might have been a tank that freaked you out. I had a few brought out to take care of those things. You should know by now Hughes, sounds like that are always going to be heard during a battle. And even the most outrageous sound and object can be explained."

"RUN FOR YOU'RE LIVES!"

Donald said as he and Goofy ran past the two soldiers. Mustang, who saw a talking duck and a dog running on two legs run by him, replied, "Now THAT...could have an explanation."

Hughes then noticed the thing that Donald and Goofy were running from, "Mustang...run." Mustang was about to ask why, when right in front of them, was the giant iron Golem. Mustang then said, "Well, now we know who's responsible for the accessory and armor thefts...good work, Hughes."

End of Chapter 18

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**Next chapter: Edward and Alphonse confront Huskisson while Sora encounters the two Genomes.**

**Please comment.  
**


	19. Chapter 19

**Last time, The Fullmetal Alchemist, Edward Elric, and his younger brother Alphonse fought the mad scientist named Huskisson, who sought to offer his invention, the Uraniom Bomb, to the military for the sole purpose of taking more lives. After chasing him further into the Mechanical Castle, Huskisson used a Gigantic Mining Drill to try and destroy the two brothers. But the Elrics's quick thinking stopped Huskisson's drill.**

**Back in Central City, Sora was attacked in Rin's Travel Agency by more Golems. He and Leon fought them off, but the battle was only beginning, as Sora saw the thing that was controlling the Golems, an enormous Golem, made entirely out of metal...**

**Warning: Kingdom Hearts and Fullmetal Alchemist are both licensed by Square-Enix. The secondary licenses for both franchises are Disney (Kingdom Hearts), Aniplex, Bones Inc., and Funimation (Fullmetal Alchemist). **

**PS: There will be spoilers.**

* * *

Fullmetal Kingdom: The Fanfic

Chapter 19: A Towering Ego

Sora stared in awe at the 50ft creature. He thought to himself, _Since when did Cornello get the man power to create a giant like THAT? Never mind that, he's using that thing to attack Central! And I still don't know why. This is too much of a job for a simple soldier...but I might as well try to trounce it!_

Sora climbs down the building and rushes toward the towering monster.

"A large and heavily armored creature, the Guard Armor. It takes the armor and accessories of brave and noble warriors who died in the heat of battle. Their fists have enough strength to break through solid steel, and create shockwaves in the ground. Many philosophers believed these Golems have a weak spot inside their husks somewhere, a heart perhaps. But whether or not it does is not important to me. What is important, is why my creatures have made such a tribute to Goliath?"

Crimson walked through the mob of frightened people while speaking to himself. He was then approached viciously by a Golem, who at first thought of Crimson as another morsel to devour, until Crimson grabbed it by the throat and broke it's neck!

He then turned to the other Golems, who saw his deed and stepped back in fear. The rad and black figure stood up and looked at his former pets and asked, "**Where have you all been?**"

They hissed silently as they tried to run...

"**WHERE HAVE YOU ALL BEEN?**"

The Golems stopped moving and looked at him with eyes filled with terror. Crimson bent down to make eye contact with his Golems and said, "You all left me for dead, tell me why, **NOW.**" The Golems snorted and hissed at Crimson, but they were actually talking to him, through their own ways of communication.

"I see." Crimson said as he stood back up. He then looked at the Guard Armor and said, "I'll let this one slide, but next time you decide to follow someone else...I'll eat what's left of you're very existence and tear you apart...while your still breathing! **IS THAT CLEAR?**" The Golems nodded and bowed down before him.

Crimson then said, "Now listen, and listen carefully my friends. I have a feeling that I know who's been pulling your strings during my imprisonment, and if you and the others want to stay alive, then you will take these orders..."

Meanwhile, at the Mechanical Castle, Huskisson was standing in quite a tight spot, since his Giant Drill was easily stopped and deformed by the Elric Bros. He fixes his mask and said, "(grrr) Damn you and your mystical alchemy! If it wasn't for you zealots, physicists would be guiding the state into a new and enlightened age!"

Ed then pointed to a whole created by Huskisson's Giant Drill and asked, "Enlightenment like THAT?" And then, right where Ed was pointing, there were countless bodies of dead coal workers and scientists, killed obviously by Huskisson and his mad ambitions. As he was climbing back down, Al saw what Ed was pointing to and was shocked, "So, that's why Huskisson was the only scientist around...because all the scientists and workers were killed!"

Huskisson then laughed and said, "Uranium mining is dangerous, this was just the cost of progress that I had to pay for, you understand-" Alphonse interrupted, "Science that doesn't benefit people is no science at all!"

Edward then started walking towards Huskisson with handcuffs in his hand, "Man, you've become quite twisted, haven't you? People like you always make me sick, so for the murders of innocent civilians, and the constant harassment of State personnel, I hereby place you under arrest!" Huskisson then stood up and brought out his Uranium Bomb, "STAND BACK! You'll do nothing of the sort, do you hear me!"

Ed and Al were shocked to see Huskisson bring out his Uranium Bomb, he stepped out of the cockpit of the Giant Drill and said, "You know what this is now, right? Interfere with me and I'll use it!" Ed stepped out of the way as Huskisson walks by him. But instead of making his escape, Huskisson walked towards to corpses of the scientists and workers.

Ed asked, "What do you think your doing?" Huskisson replied, "HA, I would think it's obvious, I'm going to kill you imbeciles with your own power! You see, I may not respect your sorcery, but that hasn't stopped me from learning it. For a man versed in atomic equations, a few circles were easy enough to understand." Huskisson then took out a piece of paper, on it was a transmutation circle.

Ed then asked, "What are you planning now?" Huskisson replied, "It's my backup plan, 'Fullmetal'! I'm going to create an army of metal soldiers, men fused with machines! You won't stand a chance!" Ed's eyes were suddenly filled with fear, "DON'T DO IT! That's Human Transmutation! Listen to me, life only flows in one direction, humans aren't supposed to be brought back to life! It's alchemy's greatest taboo for a reason, just take my advice and walk away."

"You expect me to be so foolish? I know what happens next, you and your abomination are just going to follow me and try to take me into prison! I won't let you have that opportunity you fools!" Ed tries to reason with him again, "JUST LISTEN TO ME AND DON'T USE THE TRANSMUTATION! You'll regret it!" Huskisson smiled again, "Your arcane rules mean nothing to me, I'M A MAN OF SCIENCE!" Huskisson then darted toward the bodies and activated the transmutation!

"HUSKISSON, NOOOOOO!"

Just then, Huskisson found himself inside a very bright area, filled with light and nothing more. He looked around to find anything that could explain where he was. But he was all alone, with no explanations. But then, he heard a child's laughter, he looked in front of him, and just like that, a door appeared in front of him, a giant black door with a tree in front, with people built around the doorway like pillars...

"What's wrong? No explanation, right?"

Huskisson turned around and saw a small white child with a visible arm and leg. Huskisson asked, "W-what is this?" The small child suddenly came up in front of him and smiled with huge teeth, "...an explanation. You can say it's...the ultimate explanation."

The child then disappeared and left Huskisson alone, with the large door opening for him. He turned around slowly, and to his horror, inside the door, he saw what was making child-like laughter...

"**NO-N-HUH-AH-!"**

(slam)

After Huskisson's transmutation, Ed and Al were met with nothing but the outside view of the ocean. The entire area where the corpses and Huskisson were had vanished into thin air.

Ed shook his head in disappointment, "I tried to tell him Al, I really did." Al replied, "I know brother, instead of excepting his loss, he threw everything away, just to get rid of us." Ed then said, "It's just like us, when we tried to bring mom back to life." Al corrected Ed, "You mean 'almost' like us. You kept me here, trading your arm for my soul, and then placing it in this body, while in Huskisson's attempt, he lost it all."

Ed looked at his automail arm and said, "He didn't respect Equivalent Exchange. And that's why we need the Philosopher Stone, to get your body back." Al shook his head, "Your arm and leg too brother." Ed then turned to Al, "Alright lets go." Al was disturbed, "W-what?" Ed explained, "This whole castle's about to explode." Al asked, "WHY!" Ed gave an evil looking smiled and said, "'Cause I don't like it, I made some adjustments to the steam tanks..."

Al then heard an explosion somewhere in the castle, and then more explosions were heard, and then more, and more, and more explosions were heard. Al looked at Ed with an irritated look, "Why do you have to be so excessive? You should have told me!" Ed looks at Al and said, "There's no point in arguing now! Come on, let's go!" Al asked, "Go where? We're floating on water, and if I get any water in me, my blood seal might wash off!" Ed then yelled, "Then stop wining and help me think!"

(KA-BOOM)

Back in Central, Donald and Goofy just finished running from the Guard Armor. They were hiding in an alley, making sure everyone didn't see them. Goofy trembled with fear and asked, "D-Donald, what do we do?" Donald replied, "I'm thinking, alright? You have to let the creative juices flow, understand? Otherwise, we'll just be another group of scardy cats!" Goofy asked, "CATS? WHERE?"

Donald just looks down and skakes his head, "Goofy, sometimes I wonder..."

"AAAAAAAAAHHHH!"

The two Genomes are alerted to the sound of a shrieking woman, hiding behind her husband, while an old man tries to scare them away, "Go'wan, you mangy hoodlums! Go'wan now, GIT!" A Golem with armor comes up to them and grabs the old man, and tosses him away. But then, Goofy rushes and catches the old man. And then, Donald jumps in front of the group of Golems, and shoots a blaze of Fire at them, incinerating them instantly.

Donald asks, "Hey, are you guys alright?" The man replied, "H-honey, l-lets-" Just then, the woman screamed, "TALKING DUCK, TALKING DUCK!" She then kicked him across the sky, "WHY GOD, WHY?"

Goofy looks at the man and woman and said, "...kinda harsh, don't you think?" Then the old man said, "Well, thanks for the rescue and all, but that doesn't exactly mean your rid of those bugs. I saw them with my own eyes, there were thousands of them coming right into this town!" Goofy then saluted and said, "Don't worry sir, me and my pal Donald with get rid of them in a-" Just before Goofy could finish, the woman kicked him into the sky as well.

The man then asked her, "Honey, why did you do that? He was going to help us." The woman replied, "IT'S A LYCAN YOU DUFE! IT PROBABLY WANTS TO SUCK OUT YOUR BLOOD AND FEED YOU TO IT'S MUMMY PUPPIES! 'Cause that's what they do...right?"

"...no."

Meanwhile, Sora was running through the streets towards the Guard Armor, unaware that a few unidentified flying farm animals were heading towards him...

(CRASH)

Donald and Goofy found themselves on top of Sora, and then, they saw what he was holding, "The Keyblade!" Sora flipped and kicked them off of him, "For the last time...it's...the...AVENGER!" Sora then noticed that the ones who landed on him were not humans, before his very eyes, he saw a duck holding a walking stick, and a dog who was standing on his two legs like a normal human being.

Donald then said to Sora, "Y-YOU! It's really you! The newest Keyblade Master! We've found you-we found him Goofy! ...Goofy?" Donald then saw Goofy looking for something, "Uh Donald, have you seen my shield?" Donald walked over and hit Goofy on the head, "YOU LOST YOUR WEAPON? What kind of Captain of the Guard are you?"

Suddenly, a bunch of Golems came and surrounded Sora and the two Genomes. Goofy asked, "Gwarsh, are these the Golem guys Jiminy?" Sora then noticed a small bug come out of Goofy's hat, Sora recognized the bug as Jiminy Cricket, who tried to help him when Destiny Islands was being attacked. Jiminy replied, "That's them alright! Those are the same creatures that attacked Destiny Islands!" Donald stood in front of Goofy and aimed his staff at them, "Let's go get'em Goofy!"

And just then, Sora saw flame shoot out of Donald's staff, Sora then realized, "A Fire spell?" The flame came into contact with the Golems, and as they screamed, the Guard Armor heard them and turned around. It then saw Donald, the one who attacked it's brethren. The Guard Armor lifted it's enormous arm, and prepared to attack the small mallard.

"DONALD, LOOKOUT!" Goofy shouted. Unfortunately, Donald was so terrified by the gigantic fist coming his way, he couldn't bring himself to make a run for it. Sora rushes towards Donald and thought, _Why am I saving this guy? All this weird stuff happening doesn't make sense! First, I get attacked in my old, and new home. Second, Riku flips out. Third, a bunch of people I don't know are after me for my sword. And Fourth, these...chimeras pop out of nowhere and act like people! Knowing how they reacted to my Avenger, they were probably after it to. But whether they are or not is irrelevant. Right now, I have to stop the Golems, no matter what!_

Just when the Guard Armor was about to crush Donald, Sora punches him out of the way, sending Donald flying into a trash can. After hearing a large quake, Donald regained consciousness and asked, "WHO THE HELL DID THAT-...huh?"

Donald stared in awe at the large crater made form the Guard Armor's punch. Goofy then rushed to Donald and gave him a strong hug of relief, "Oh Donald, for a second there, I thought you weren't gonna make it!" Goofy then realized something, the kid that saved Donald's life was nowhere to be seen. As Goofy looked around the area, Donald asked, "Goofy, what are you doing?" Goofy replied, "That person, Donald, the new Keyblade Master, I don't see him anywhere!"

"WHAAAAAT?"

Donald's eyes widened as he looked inside the crater. He then walked over to Goofy and grabbed his sleeve, "G-Goofy...he...(sniff)...he might have been...(sniff)...oh God, Goofy, he gave his life for mine and now he's dead!" Goofy asked, "W-what do you mean he's-" Donald explained, "You big-nosed idiot! He was probably crushed by that huge Golem! AND IT'S ALL MY FAULT(crying)!"

Goofy then saw the crater shaped like a large fist and said, "...oh no."

End of Chapter 19

* * *

**Next chapter: The Guard Armor falls, and the Genomes are discovered.**

**Please comment.  
**


	20. Chapter 20

**Last time, Huskisson's jealousy ended up consuming him as he tried to make his escape and at the same time, perform alchemy that would create mechanical men out of the corpses of the miners who worked for him. He never knew the deadly gamble he took, as what he performed was another way of performing the forbidden taboo, Human Transmutation! After Huskisson met his grim end, Edward and Alphonse Elric try to escape the castle, as it was falling apart, thanks to Ed, who rigged the whole place to blow sky high.**

**Back in Central City, Sora was perusing the Guard Armor, intending to end the Golem's attack by destroying their commander. But just then, Donald and Goofy fell on him. Before he could ask who they were, Sora found himself working with Donald and Goofy against a group of Golems. Then the Guard Armor saw the three heroes and attacked. The giant's fist was coming towards Donald, but Sora pushed Donald in the nick of time.**

**As Donald woke up, he found a large crater made from the Guard Armor's fist. Donald and Goofy looked around them, but to their disappointment, Sora was nowhere to be found...**

**Warning: Kingdom Hearts and Fullmetal Alchemist are both licensed by Square-Enix. The secondary licenses for both franchises are Disney (Kingdom Hearts), Aniplex, Bones Inc., and Funimation (Fullmetal Alchemist). **

**PS: There will be spoilers.**

* * *

Fullmetal Kingdom: The Fanfic

Chapter 20: Toppling the Titan

As Goofy looked at the large crater, he realized that their only hope of finding President Mickey was gone. Just then, Donald yelled out at the Guard Armor, "YOU MONSTER!" Donald took out his staff and started to run after the enormous titan. Despite not having a shield, Goofy followed Donald anyway.

The Guard Armor smashed through the city, demolishing anything in it's path. As Hughes and Mustang watched, Mustang realized something, "Hughes, that thing...it's heading toward Central Command!" Hughes turned to the left and saw Central Command close by, and as he looked back on the giant Golem, he noticed that his superior officer was right. As they looked on, the Guard Armor was walking towards their base of operation.

Mustang takes his glove off and puts his index finger and his thumb inside his mouth, and then, he sent a loud whistle for all his soldiers to hear, "Everyone, the giant is heading towards Central Command! All forces, assemble to the front lines and do whatever you can to stop it and the Golems!" "YES SIR!" The soldiers complied.

They took their rifles, their swords, and their remaining weapons and ran straight back to Central Command. Meanwhile, Hawkeye approaches Mustang, "Sir, I've just received word from platoon 6 that the Golem army is beginning to withdraw." Hughes was a bit disturbed by the news. "Withdraw? But there were thousands of them! They almost had us on the noose! Why would they back off now?

Mustang thought and said, "Pawns can appear as a seemingly difficult opponent. While the puppets ward off the opposing army with fear, the puppeteer begins the real show. This was a distraction to begin with, they've weakened our numbers and in doing so, they planned to have the giant finish us off by destroying our headquarters."

Mustang then looks at Hawkeye and tells her, "We'll meet back with the others and join them." Hawkeye and Mustang run straight for the colonel's car, Hughes watches as the two enter the vehicle, and was about to joing them, when Mustang stops Hughes, "Go to your family Hughes, make sure the Golems didn't come back for seconds!"

Hughes tried to say something about Sora, but Hawkeye and Mustang already drove away. Hughes looked up at the large Golem and said to himself, "Son, I hope you'll be alright." Hughes then ran straight through the road, hoping to see his family safe and sound.

Meanwhile, Sora started to wake up, his head still rattled after that destructive blow from the Giant Armored Golem. He stood up to try and gather his senses, when he noticed the area he was in. He was inside a chamber, crafted from thousands of iron and steel, most were leather, while others were pelts, pelts made from animals to sew on to something like...an accessory.

Sora also saw helmets, gauntlets, many pieces of armor around him. Then he heard thousands of screams from outside, he noticed light shining from a hole, or a crack to be precise. He peeked through the crack and saw to his surprise, the entire city of Central, with countless Golems attacking the citizens, and military officers fighting them back.

Sora then heard a loud roar coming from outside...and inside the chamber he was in. Sora then said to himself, "An entire room made out of armor and accessories, a moving view of the city? Heh, It's almost like I'm inside some giant...(eyes pop open)"

"**YOU GOTTA BE KIDDING ME!**"

Back outside, Donald chases the Guard Armor while hitting it with Fire alchemy. He yelled, "Your kind was the reason our leader left! You go around destroying lives for whatever reasons you have, and then you go off and kill an innocent kid? I thought of him as a tool, and he saved my life! He never deserved this! The ones who really deserved to be destroyed are you and the other Golems!"

As Donald shot his flame at the giant, Goofy realized that a car was coming their way, "Donald, we gotta hide!" Goofy then grabbed an infuriated Donald and tried to jump out of the way, but the mirror on the right side of the car accidentally smacked Goofy on the face, as he was knocked away in midair, Donald manages to grab the bumper and Goofy at the same time so that they could get to the Giant Golem easier.

After hearing a strange noise, as well as seeing a strange-looking person getting hit in midair, Mustang asked Hawkeye while she was driving, "Did you hear something?" Hawkeye replied, "It was probably a stray cat sir."

At the front gate of Central Command, all the remaining forces prepared their weapons and stood in formation, in hopes of victory against the enormous creature coming their way. And then, right before them, a car came before them, with Mustang and Hawkeye coming out.

Mustang turns around and looks at the Guard Armor as it approached them. One of the men said, "We're ready for your orders sir." Mustang thought to himself, that thing is entirely made out of metal, so regular bullets won't kill it. The colonel then said, "We'll need to bring out tanks and cannons. Anything that can blow that thing to pieces."

As Mustang was giving the soldiers their orders, Donald and Goofy were hiding on the other side of the car. Goofy rubbed his aching head and said, "Oh, why does my head get bonked all the time?" Donald shushes his canine friend, "Your alive, aren't you? Now quit complaining and let's get going!"

"Who are you?"

Donald and Goofy were startled to hear the voice of a young woman, they slowly turned around and saw a blond female soldier with a determined stare in her red eyes holding a pistol and pointing it right at them.

"Uh oh..."

Meanwhile, inside the Guard Armor, Sora thought to himself, _I remember seeing a crack on the giant Golem's hand, and now it looks like I'm inside it's hand. This thing seems to be unstoppable from the outside, but what about the inside?_ Sora then found a few more cracks above him, he walked over to them and started climbing up the cracks, hoping to reach the Guard Armor's source of power.

After a few minutes, Sora reached the core of the Guard Armor, where he saw a large red orb, surrounded by what appeared to be purple and blue veins. Sora brought out his Avenger and was prepared to demolish the core, when suddenly, a large number of armored Golems appeared before him and attacked him. Sora blocked most of the attacks, but then, another armored Golem appeared behind Sora and sliced through him! As Sora was trying to recover, more Golems were arriving and hissing, preparing to devour their prey...

When suddenly, two figures busted through the ceiling, taking out most of the Golems that were surrounding Sora. The two stood up and revealed themselves to be Leon and the old shopkeeper who sent Sora out to look for his accessories, "GRAMPS?" Cid turned around and said, "Quit calling me gramps!"

Leon pulled Sora up and asked, "So, this is where the Giant Golem's heart is?" Sora nodded, "Yep, this is the place." Cid then turned towards the core and said, "Then lets send it's ass to Hell! By the way kid, thanks for finding my accessories. Too bad they got mixed up with this large son of a bitch." Cid threw his spear right through the core, as he did, the group heard a painful moan from the creature. Leon then said, "Alright Sora, Cid's spear just took out half of the Golem's strength! Now we just have to add the finishing touches! Come on!"

Leon and Sora ran towards the core and attacked it with continuous slashes from their blades. But the Golems caught them by surprise when the kicked them away. Leon then aimed his Gunblade at the hoard of Golems and blew them away with another Fire spell! He turned towards Sora and said, "We did enough damage on it, so while I handle the small fry, YOU DELIVER THE FINAL BLOW!"

Sora nodded at Leon and jumped toward the core, but just then, more armored Golems appeared and batted him away. But as Sora headed for the wall, his feet made contact with the wall and he then jumped toward the core again. He slashed through the Golems that got in his way and sliced right through the Guard Armor's core, making it shriek in pain once again.

As Cid beheaded another Golem, he noticed the area they were in was starting to break down, the Guard Armor no longer had the strength to hold the pieces of it's body in place. Cid whistles at Leon and Sora, "(whistle) HEY, OUTTA THE POOL TURDS!"

Back outside, "Colonel, I've found something." Hawkeye said as she tugged the handcuffs she placed on the two Genomes. Mustang and the soldiers looked with amazement at what appeared to be a dog and a duck wearing clothes.

Donald looked at the surprised soldiers and said, "Uh...(quack-quack)!" Donald started acting like his own species to try and fool the soldiers, "(quack-quack-quack-quack)!". One of the soldiers asked, "Uh, why is that duck in a sailor's suit?" then another spoke, "And why is the dog giving the Lieutenant a funny look?" Confused, Hawkeye looks at the two suspicious characters she arrested and noticed Goofy smiling at her and blushing. Goofy then said, "You have purdy eyes mam."

Mustang and the soldiers gasped after hearing the dog-like creature speak almost perfect English. Enraged by Goofy's tendency to act like a bumbling idiot, Donald yelled, "GOOFY YOU FLEABITTIN' TWIT!" The soldiers gasped again after hearing Donald, "Oh my God, a talking duck?" "I can understand a humanoid dog talking, but a duck?" "I knew it would happen! I just knew it!"

Mustang dared to approach Donald and speak to him directly, "Who are you duck?" Of course, Donald wouldn't speak, instead, he continued quaking to make it as if it was the soldiers imagination. Knowing that it was pointless to fool the Colonel and the woman who caught them, Jiminy popped out of Goofy's hat and said to Mustang, "You've found us out Colonel, I and my colleague Goofy here admit the truth, unlike certain bird-brained-bums(Donald: HEY!)."

Mustang, ignoring the fact that a bug had more courage than the duck to speak with him, turned towards Jiminy and asked, "So, who are you three and what is it you're after?" Jiminy replied after giving a salute to the Colonel, "Colonel Roy Mustang, my name is Jiminy Cricket, I am a journalist who was chosen to wright down the chronicles and events of my colleagues here. The mallard over there is Donald Duck, and this fine hound is Goofy."

Donald shook his head in disappointment, "Great, we were supposed to be hidden, but NOW look at us, arrested by the very people who mistreated us." Hawkeye looks at Goofy with a curious look, "So, your name is Goofy? But why? That's not a natural name for a dog to have." Goofy replied, "I can't help what my name is mam. I was born Goofy, and that's who I'll be for the rest of my life."

Mustang interrupted, "Anyway, what are you after?" Jiminy replied, "We have no intention of invasion or destruction whatsoever. All we want is-." Just then, the giant Golem from behind shrieked out in pain as it's body was starting to fall apart! Through the cracks, Mustang, Jiminy, and the others saw bolts of electricity burst out of the creature. Gauntlets, belts, iron swords, and other weapons, accessories, and armor were falling off the Guard Armor.

The first piece to come off the Guard Armor was it's left arm, then the right side of it's chest broke down, showing it's core, breaking into pieces, like a crystal. And then, out of the hole in the creature's chest, was Sora, who was trying to escape with two other men before the giant's entire body fell apart!

Leon and Cid jumped toward the top of a nearby building, while Sora tried to do the same, but the Guard Armor grabbed Sora before he could jump. The Guard Armor then started to run towards Central Comand, without even caring about it's condition. But Sora still had the Avenger in his hand, and so, he sliced through the Guard Armor's fingers and climbed up towards the shoulder of the giant.

After a few seconds, Sora finally came on the Guard Armor's shoulder, where he saw the right arm fall apart and fall on the street. From where he was standing, Sora had a clear shot of the Guard Armor's core. Sora then remembered that move he once used on Leon, where he threw the Avenger at the young man, but missed. And before he knew it, the blade came back around, and almost knocked Leon down before coming right back into Sora's hand.

Sora gripped his Avenger and targeted the core, and then he threw his Avenger like a boomerang and sliced through the core. But Sora wasn't finished yet, after catching his Avenger, he threw it again, and again, and again. He kept breaking the core of the Guard Armor until there was nothing left of it.

As the core finally shattered into a million pieces, the Guard Armor stopped and slowly fell. Sora saw as it's feet were breaking down, and then, the rest of it started falling down. Sora then went inside of the helmet-like head, where he kept himself inside in order to stay safe until the beast fell completely on the ground.

But as the helmet fell on the ground, it started to roll through the streets, and towards the Central Command entrance, where Mustang, Hawkeye, Donald, Jiminy, and Goofy were watching.

As the helmet finally came to a stop (after bumping into the Colonel's car), it shattered as well, revealing the youth who destroyed the Guard Armor from the inside, Sora himself. A dizzy Sora walked over towards Mustang and gave him a salute, "(dizzy)You won't believe the night I had-BLEEEEAAAAAACH-sir!" After the young man accidentally puked on Mustang's shoes, Sora fainted as Hawkeye caught him. As the soldiers and Donald laughed at the Colonel's shoes(riddles with green puke), Mustang looked at his shoes and said, "(sigh)It had to be the cobbler."

Meanwhile, Crimson was watching Sora with interest and curiosity in mind. He said to himself, "So, he's the one who freed me? Hmm, he's quite young for a Keyblade Master, and yet...he can be just what I needed. Perhaps even more. I may need to test him..."

Back at sea, on a small ship, the Elric Brothers were in quite a conundrum...

"WE'RE SINKING, WE'RE SINKING, WE'RE SINKING!" Al tries to calm Ed down, "I know, I know! I'm trying!" Ed snaps at Al, "Faster Al!" The two brothers had just escaped the Mechanical Castle by boat, unfortunately, the boat had a few holes in it, letting in water. Desperate, Ed snatches Al's helmet head and uses it to scoop the water out of the boat, Al complained, "HEY, YOU NEED TO STOP! GIVE THAT BACK!"

Ed yelled out "Stop complaining, I'm getting the water out!" Al replied, "Then transmute something! You don't have to use my head!"

End of Chapter 20 and the Destiny Arc

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**Next chapter: The Elrics return and Sora accompanies them to their next destination...Xenotime!**

**Please Comment.  
**


	21. Chapter 21

**Last time, the Guard Armor's attempt at crushing Sora had a surprising twist as Sora came through a crack in the Giant Golem's fist and wound up inside the creature. And as he explored the innards**** of the giant, he found out that it was made out of accessories and armor sets from Cid's Shop and many other armor shops.**

**Enraged about loosing Sora, Donald chased down the Guard Armor while accompanied by Goofy. The giant was actually set on destroying the military's base of operations, Central Command. As they followed the trail, Donald and Goofy ended up being caught by First Lieutenant, Riza Hawkeye, who brought them to Roy Mustang.**

**Inside the Guard Armor's chest, Sora found a central core that controlled the large creature. And with assistance from Leon and Cid, Sora was able to kill the Guard Armor from the inside, but as it was falling into pieces, Sora ended up inside the head of the large Golem, as it fell from the shoulders, the head made it's way to Central Command before shattering into pieces, revealing the triumphant and dizzy hero, Sora.**

**But as the military and Sora celebrated, Crimson was watching the Keyblade Master with interests in mind...  
**

**Warning: Kingdom Hearts and Fullmetal Alchemist are both licensed by Square-Enix. The secondary licenses for both franchises are Disney (Kingdom Hearts), Aniplex, Bones Inc., and Funimation (Fullmetal Alchemist). **

**PS: There will be spoilers.**

* * *

Fullmetal Kingdom: The Fanfic

Chapter 21: Welcome Back

Ever since the incident of the Golem attack on Central, Donald and Goofy were kept in a cell inside Central HQ, where they await their fate at the hands of the Colonel. Donald was grieving all night about how their situation could get any worse, while Goofy read the Sunday Funny Pages.

That afternoon, they were visited by Colonel Mustang and Sora, who was eager to know who they were, and why they wanted his sword. As the cell door opened, Mustang pulled out a stool and sat down in front of Donald, "So, your little cricket friend told me that you two were sent to look for the new...Keyblade Master, so that you could find your king?"

Goofy replied, "Actually sir, he's not our king, he's our president." Donald then said, "If you want to know where we came from, then your out of luck! It's a secret location that we Genomes have kept since the day we were first created." Mustang then said, "Frankly duck, I don't care where you came from. I have just received a reply from the fuhrer about the Golem attack, and your involvement. And you'll be glad to know that he's just payed your bill out of this cell. The two of you are free."

Donald's eyes widened, "What? We're free to go? G-Goofy, we're free, WE'RE ACTUALLY FREE!" Just then, Sora interrupted, "Hold it! You guys aren't free until you answer some questions!" Donald stopped celebrating and sat down in disappointment. Sora then looked at Goofy and asked, "By the way, you said you lost your shield a while ago right?" Goofy nodded, "That's right sir."

Sora then said to Goofy, "Well, I think I may have found it." Sora pulled out a circular shaped shield with three circles connecting to each other. Sora continued, "This was the only shield that the townspeople didn't recognize in the accessory shops." Goofy took a look at the shield, examining it and even going so far as to smelling it. Goofy grabbed the shield and said, "It is my shield! Oh, thank you sir, thank you!"

Sora blushed, "Hey, it was nothing." Sora then sat down and asked, "So, yesterday night, you two were calling my Avenger, the Keyblade, just like those guys that kidnapped me. So, are you guys looking for me to?" Donald and Goofy nodded, "Yep!" Just then, a familiar voice was heard, "They too were seeking the wielder of the Keyblade." And right behind Sora and Mustang, was Hawkeye, who was accompanied by Leon and Yuffie. Hawkeye then said, "Colonel, these two seem to know the two Chimeras." Yuffie then said, "Hi, we're the kidnappers!"

Hawkeye aimed a gun at them, "So you two kidnapped one of our own?" Sora stood up and got in the way of Hawkeye's gun, "Whoa, wait a minute. They're the good guys, trust me!" Hawkeye looked at Mustang, awaiting an order. And so the Colonel said, "Let's hear what they have to say."

Sora sat back down before Donald and Goofy and asked, "So, your looking for your president, who disappeared from your country and then somehow came into our country. I think I got all of that down." Donald then said, "Close, we ARE here to save the president, but he's looking for the new Keyblade Master, YOU, because you can help him find the citizens of his town, who mysteriously vanished off the face of the earth!"

Sora gave a confused look at Donald, "What do I look like, a Sorcerer's Apprentice? I can't just track missing people down like a bloodhound, I'm only human!" Goofy then said, "Actually, with the Keyblade in your-" Sora looked at Goofy with a ticked off look and said, "Apparently you didn't get the message last time. THIS sword isn't named 'Keyblade', it is called the Avenger! I was given this weapon in the Y. O. U. T. H. Orphanage when it was just a dagger and not fused with some weird looking keychain!"

Donald snapped, "THAT'S NOT A KEYCHAIN YOU IDIOT, IT'S A SHARD OF THE FIRST KEYBLADE EVER TO BE WEILDED!" Goofy patted Donald on the shoulder, trying to calm him down.

He then looked at Sora and said, "The shard used to be a small piece of a Keyblade wielded by a wise master named Eraqus, who used the blade for the purpose of doing good, and serving the innocent as a hero. They say it was given to him by a powerful alchemist who died protecting him against a horde of beasts. The alchemist told Eraqus that the Keyblade was created through the hopes and dreams of humanity, he even said that after years of experience with the blade, and if used correctly, the Keyblade could be just as powerful as a whole Philosopher Stone. But Eraqus never used the blade for it's magical purposes, instead, he used it like a regular sword, and he never told anyone the secret of its power, or it's origins. But it didn't take long for him to find someone trustworthy to tell the tale. He told the Keyblade's origin to a wizard named Yen Sid."

Mustang asked, "A wizard? Your talking about one of those 'magic' wizards, aren't you?" Goofy nodded his head, "Yes sir." Mustang shook his head and said, "Do you expect us to believe in some fairy tale as a fact? There is only one force of power in this world, and it's alchemy." Goofy felt a bit embarrassed and said, "W-well maybe your right, I don't know. Alchemy isn't known where we come from, back at home, we call it magic."

Mustang then said, "I guess I can't argue with you on that subject. It's true that alchemy, in a way, can be compared to magic sometimes, but magic is something that can't be explained. With alchemy, it's simple, you give the ingredient of one, and in return, you are given another. Alchemy is a science that follows the basic rules of Equivalent Exchange."

As Goofy thought about Mustang's words, Sora turned to Donald and asked, "So, who's Yen Sid?" Donald sighed and replied, "I guess since Goofy's brain has enough to think about, I should continue the story."

Donald took a drink of some water that was offered to him a few minutes ago and said, "Yen Sid was what YOU PEOPLE would call a wise and powerful 'alchemist' who raised the president ever since he was found on his doorstep. We owe everything to Master Yen Sid for raising Mickey like that." Sora asked, "Who's Mickey?" Donald explained, "Our president of coarse! President Mickey M. Mouse the XXI."

Donald then continued, "That Eraqus was the reason so much good things happened to us, there hasn't been a single person in Fantasia who would forget his kind smile." Mustang then asked, "Fantasia? Is that your home?" Donald's eye's widened as he just realized his mistake of telling a military officer about his country's secret name.

Mustang smiled and said, "Relax little guy, I don't have any intention of invading any countries. So could you continue your story about Eraqus and the Keyblade?" Donald sighed and continued, "Fine, well, where was Goofy? Oh yeah! Well, Master Yen Sid wanted to help Eraqus in his quest to keep the world at peace, so he trained a young apprentice in the ways of the Keyblade. As it turns out, that apprentice was our president. Eraqus and Mickey worked together for years, you've never seen such an unstoppable team!"

"...so you could never have imagined what kind of person was watching them."

"Eraqus and Mickey were being watched from a towering castle of demons and monsters, located in Siege, the Bleeding Continent. There on the Throne of Storms sat the sinister watcher, the terrible sneer, the nightmare of angels...the Heartless King! The King was plotting to use the Keyblade ever since it was created. No one ever found out who he was, or what he wanted. Some who came back alive said that he sought to use the blade for some untold reason for vengeance, others have told rumors about his plots on using the Keyblade for dominating the world, and even others stating that he would devour the hearts of the innocent and replace the hearts with his own malicious heart. None were ever confirmed, and that made him unpredictable, which is why Eraqus's encounter with him...led to-."

Just then, Havoc came into the hallway and whispered to Hawkeye. She nodded and said, "Colonel, the Elric Brothers have returned." Mustang smiled and stood up, ready to leave the cell. Donald rushed to Mustang and said, "Hey wait a minute! You can't just leave us here!" Mustang replied, "We're still unsure of what to make of all this information about the Keyblade in Sora's hands, so for now, you two will stay in here until I return to confirm your release."

"WAIT SIR!" Sora said as he stood in front of him, "They came all the way from their home to look for their friend. The least we could do is let them go." Mustang then replied, "And if I did that, what do you think would happen? They would be spotted again by another military unit, and knowing how the military is these days, you can't expect them to go easy on something they've never seen. They need to remain here, where we can keep an eye on-." Sora interrupted, "Then I'll watch them!"

The colonel and his subordinates stared at Sora with amazement, not even knowing that the failed assassin could be THAT dedicated to helping people, including people who weren't from their country. Sora wiped the sweat from his brow and continued, "Um, Colonel, When you took me into the military, you trusted me, and I don't plan on breaking that trust. You ordered me to look after the Elrics and I did, and I'm not quitting on that order until you tell me to. And when I wanted to save Riku, you ordered me to remain with the Hughes family. That angered me to do so but...it would make things worse for me if I disobeyed you, because I would've ended up like Riku. I was loyal to you since day one, so what reason would you have to not trust me to look after them?"

Hawkeye then said, "Sir, this could work. The military has been famous for making loyal Chimeras, so all we have to do is report that these two are recently made Chimeras from your division." Mustang looked at Donald and Goofy, "He has a responsibility to protect Edward Elric, the Fullmetal Alchemist, and his younger brother, Alphonse Elric. You may have your own agendas, but remember, as long as you are in this country, you can't let anyone know who you two really are. It will be your jobs to support Sora while he looks after the Elrics, am I clear?"

Donald replied, "Well of coarse!" then he and Goofy salute the colonel, then they turn away to talk secretly. Goofy asked, "Support Sora? Can we really do that?" Donald replied, "(sigh) who knows, who cares? But we need him and the Keyblade to come with us and help us find the president." Mustang asked, "**What's that?**" Then Donald and Goofy turned around and said while smiling, "NOTHING!"

Leon smiled and patted Sora, "Keep'em with you Sora, especially if you want to find your friends." Sora nodded, "Sure, I'm not allowed to, but if anything about them comes up-." Mustang interrupted, "IF anything comes up, then you'll hear it from me, alright? You can't wander off on your own again without my permission, understand?" Sora replied, "Y-yes sir."

Donald then approached Sora and shook his hand, "I'm Donald Duck, pleased to meet you kiddo." Goofy then shook Sora's hand, "Names Goofy, I promise to be as much help as I can." Sora then said, "Uh, yeah, and I'm Sora." Goofy then hugged Sora and Donald and said, "**All for one and one for all!**"

A few minutes later, on the dock, Edward and Alphonse were just starting to dry off from their recently sunken boat. Al mumbled something to himself, then Ed asked, "What was that Al?" Al looked at him and said, "RECKLESS! THAT'S WHAT I SAID BROTHER, RECKLESS! You should have at least gave me a heads up of what you were planning! Sending me in your place, getting holes drilled into me, and then blowing up the castle? WHAT WERE YOU THINKING?"

Ed replied, "Hey, I did that because it had to be done AL! If someone made another weapon like that, you wouldn't want them to end up in the wrong hands would you? NO! WHEN SOME BOMB IS CREATED, YOU NUKE THE JOINT! IT"S THAT SIMPLE DUMBY!"

"Brothers quarrel?"

Ed and Al then noticed Mustang standing right in front of them. Ed gave a disgusted look at the colonel and said, "What do ya want...sir?" Mustang patted Ed on the head and said, "I just wanted to congratulate you for destroying the Mechanical Castle, I mean, honestly, I never thought you'd be so reckless." Al snapped, "You see brother? Reckless, just like I said to you!" Ed snapped, "AW SHUTTUP AL!"

Ed then realized something, "Wait a minute! Mustang, how did you know that I-?" Mustang answered simply by pointing out at sea, where a large amount of smoke was seen. Mustang then said, "Honestly, all you had to do was say 'no'. Why the mindless destruction?" Ed replied, "The guy was lost in his own little world, he was going to tear Al apart just because we gave him your answer!"

Mustang asked, "And so you blew up the castle?" Ed was speechless, knowing that he had no chance of a comeback. Mustang then took out a pair of handcuffs from Ed's pocket, "HAND-CUFFS! They cuff hands! What was so hard about cuffing a feeble old man's hands, HUH?"

Sora and Hawkeye watched as Mustang gave Ed a long talk about his actions. Hawkeye then said to Sora, "It's odd isn't it? He's not arresting the Elrics for disobeying direct orders." Sora replied, "Hmm, not really, the colonel always did have a responsible aura around him, and despite his rash decisions, I can tell, he knows what he's doing."

Hawkeye smiled and said, "Yes he does. You know about the Elric's past don't you?" Sora nodded, "You mean how when they were about 11 or 12, they performed forbidden alchemy in order to bring their mother back? Yeah, I heard the story." Hawkeye explained, "They don't have a single parent in this world. They had a father, but for some strange reason, he left, and, well you know about their mother. They were alone, without a place to call home. Then the colonel came and gave them a chance to find the only thing that could restore their bodies, the Philosopher Stone."

"The stone that can make anything happen? It's not right to get their hopes up for something that can't be found so easily." Sora said with a frustrated tone, "We've found something like it in Lior, but it turned out to be a fake. I can understand if they want to use it to change themselves back to normal, but why would they take a gamble like that? For all we know, they're next attempt in looking for the stone could end up getting someone killed, namely them."

Hawkeye then asked, "How do you think the colonel feels? He's seen his fair share of pain in his life, the last thing he would ever want is to endanger the life of one of his own subordinates. But his place is in East City, and in here, Central City. He has to work and carry out orders from the fuhrer himself, he can't watch over them and keep them safe, that's why he needed you. Do you understand why?"

After listening to Hawkeye, Sora looked back at Ed, who was just starting to get annoyed by Mustang pointing at him and saying, 'shame on you'. Sora then remembered why Mustang hired him...

"**I need you to look out for him, just in case he gets in too deep, understand?"**

"He's worried about the Elrics...and what they would do to get the Philosopher Stone!" Sora said. Hawkeye then looked back at Sora, "And that's why you're with them Sora. To keep them sane."

End of Chapter 21

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**Next chapter: Sora and the Elrics head to Xenotime with some extra help while Crimson finds his first follower...**

**Please Comment.  
**


	22. Chapter 22

**Last time, Sora defeated an army of Golems, but while he faced the monsters, he encountered the Genomes from Fantasia, Donald Duck and Goofy, who were in search of their leader and friend, President Mickey M. Mouse. **

**Unsure of the Genome's intentions, Colonel Roy Mustang placed them under arrest to interrogate them.**

**While in captivity, the Genomes told Mustang and Sora about Eraqus, the first Keyblade Master, who joined forces with many allies, including Mickey, to face many dangers, including the Heartless King, who might have been responsible for Eraqus's disappearance. **

**The Genomes needed Sora to train and become more familiar with the Keyblade in order for him to help them find Mickey and return home, so in order for the Genomes to be kept watch by the military, Sora volunteered to keep an eye on them.**

**After a few minutes, the Elric Brothers finally returned to shore after their visit to Mechanical Castle, and as the Colonel greeted them, Sora and Riza had a conversation about the Elrics and what they would do to find the Philosopher Stone. She told Sora that Mustang chose Sora to watch over the Elrics for them because he was concerned about what line they would cross in order to get it...**

**Warning: Kingdom Hearts and Fullmetal Alchemist are both licensed by Square-Enix. The secondary licenses for both franchises are Disney (Kingdom Hearts), Aniplex, Bones Inc., and Funimation (Fullmetal Alchemist). **

**PS: There will be spoilers.**

* * *

Fullmetal Kingdom: The Fanfic

Chapter 22: Onward to Xenotime

The next morning, Hughes, Gracia, and Elicia stood before Sora in the train station. Gracia came before her adopted son and gave him his suitcase, then Elicia hugged Sora while he patted her on the head. And finally, Hughes gave Sora a photo of Elicia, which he kindly refused (for obvious reasons related to his foster father's obsession with jabbering about her).

"Have a safe trip son. Remember to get the boys back home safe, alright?" Hughes said as he saluted Sora. Sora replied, "No problem dad. I'll see you all soon." Hughes then stopped Sora and asked, "By the way, it's about the...new guys. Can they handle themselves?" Sora nodded, "I've seen them fight dad, they'll be alright...unless one of them eats any chocolate."

Inside the passenger car, Ed and Al wait for Sora while in their seats. And sitting in the seat in front of Ed, was Donald, who was giving him a ticked off look while chewing on taffy. And sitting by him, was Goofy, who was just looking around the inside of the train with curiosity in his mind. Al looked at him and Donald and whispered to his brother, "Brother, who are they?"

Donald angrily answered, "WE'RE JUST CHIMERAS MADE BY THE MILITARY TO SERVE YOU, YOU IDIOTS!" Ed and Al were shocked to hear Donald's furious answer. Ed whispered, "I didn't know ducks could snap like twigs."

Al looked at the Genomes and said, "Well, hopefully we'll get along during this mission. So, who are you two?" Donald answered, "(sigh) I'm Donald Duck, I'm...an alchemist too, it's nice to meet you." Goofy was next to introduce himself, "It's a pleasure to meet you guys, the name's Goofy."

Ed then said, "Well I'm Edward Elric, the Fullmetal Alchemist. And this is my younger brother..." Al continued Ed's answer, "Alphonse Elric." And just then, a small bug came out of Goofy's hat and took his hat off to them, "Well, the two of you seem like impressionable lads, Cricket's the name, Jiminy Cricket! I'm here to wright down the events that transpire during our missions together."

Ed looked at Jiminy and said, "Wow, I didn't know bug chimeras could be given the ability to talk." Jiminy asked, "So Fullmetal, what is your relationship with the Keyb-I mean, young Sora over there?" Ed replied, "Relationship? HA, that's a laugh! The guy was bought from some Orphanage of assassins to be my bodyguard. I mean, seriously, why do I need a bodyguard anyway? Me and Al can take care of ourselves."

Al then pointed out, "Well actually, Sora was pretty helpful while we were in Lior. He protected you from most of Cornello's traps, henchmen, chimeras, and he even helped you defeat Cornello himself, when the imitation stone was used to turn him into a giant." Donald then said, "Did he tell you two about the time he destroyed a gigantic armored Golem in Central while you two were gone?"

The Elrics asked, "HE DID?" Goofy nodded, "(ahyuk) Yep, he sure did! At first it seemed like he was crushed, but from what he told us, he actually came inside the giant through a crack in it's fist. And while inside, he found the core, and destroyed it, just like THAT! (ahyuk)"

"Hey guys!" Sora said as he came into the passenger car. Sora found a seat next to Goofy near the window and asked, "So, how are you guys doing? Are you getting along well?" Ed shot a look of disapproval at Sora and said, "SO, YOU KICKED A GIANT'S ASS AND NOW YOU HAVE THE NERVE TO ACT LIKE IT WAS NOTHING? How the hell did you accomplish that?" Sora replied, "Well, I didn't do it alone, I had some help from two talented fighters named Cid and Leon. If it hadn't been for them, I wouldn't have made it."

Al then asked, "Cid, you mean Cid Highwind? The owner of that famous accessory shop, the Tiny Bronco?" Sora scratched his head and replied, "Y-yeah, I actually owe him more than that. While Central was invaded by the Golems, I...I kinda...wrecked his shop." Ed and Al gave Sora unbelievable looks, "You wrecked Cid's shop?" Sora replied, "Well, accidentally, yes."

Ed shook his head, "You poor bastard!"

Ed asked, "Al, remember the time I had that fight with that gang...inside Cid's shop?" Al answered, "Yeah, he made you re-organize every single item in the shop...even the broken ones. That lasted for 8 days." Ed kept shivering, "There was even the time that old man got drunk and found my finger prints on his prized Crystal Crown! He found the apartment room we were staying in and demanded an apology...and $2,000!"

Al then said, "That was nothing compared to the day I accidentally tripped and let go of the ketchup...on his new suit!" Ed shivered with fear while looking at his automail arm, "He...ate the whole thing...and said...it tasted like...ch-chicken!" Ed then grabbed Al, "HE'S A MADMAN AL, PRETTY SOON HE'LL WANT MY BLOOD, MYYYYY BLOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOD! (wines and cries in Al's hands)" Sora then said, "OK, well you guys are obviously nuts."

Sora turned towards Ed and asked, "So, your still going to look for the Philosopher Stone, huh?" Ed answered, "Damn right! That's why we're on this train, to investigate a small town in the mountains called Xenotime."

Sora was interested, "Xenotime? You mean the Town of Gold? From what I've heard, a few years ago, they stopped mining for gold. They had some of the richest accessories you've ever seen. The citizens also take pride on the food they grow. They have gardens for almost every fruit or vegetable ever conceived on Earth. Apples, Corn, Bananas, Carrots, Peas, you name it, they have it!"

"...but still, the Philosopher Stone? What do they need a rock like that for?" Sora asked, Ed answered, "We'll find out soon enough. In the meantime, what happened while we were gone? Did you find that Riku guy and the other orphans yet?"

Sora shook his head, "No, I haven't seen or heard from him, or the others. I want to look for them, but the colonel wouldn't allow it. He said that they were a lost cause, and that I shouldn't be distracted from my duties. But it's just ridiculous, Riku, a lost cause? A cause is only lost if you surrender! And I will NEVER SURRENDER!"

Alphonse patted Sora on the shoulder and said, "Sora, you and Riku are still friends right? He's probably just as scared and confused as you are. Just give it time Sora, we'll find him, and the rest of your friends." Sora nodded and relaxed, "...thank you Al." Just then, the train started to move, it was starting to head towards Xenotime.

Hughes, Gracia, and Elisia waved to Sora and the Elrics as the train was leaving, and so the three boys waved back at them with smiling faces. As Sora and the Elrics waved 'goodbye' to the Hugheses, Donald said to himself, "The sooner we investigate this stone, the better chance we have of taking the kid and finding our president."

Unbeknownst to the heroes, the strange woman named Lust was sitting in the seat behind them, she was reading the newspaper as well as listening to the Sora, Donald, Goofy, and the Elrics. The newspaper article she read was entitled, 'NEW LEGEND RISES! THE KEYBLADE MASTER SORA!'

"Hmm, Sora, such an interesting little boy you are."

In an unknown location, Riku was walking through a blue and desolate land, filled with rising water and crystals sticking out of the ground like grass. Riku was lost in his sudden loss of sanity when suddenly, his head started to hurt.

He gripped his skull and screamed out in pain, but as he was feeling pain, he was also starting to regain consciousness. He started to remember who he was and what happened before Destiny Islands was attacked.

"...wh..." Riku's headache was starting to where off, so he sat down on a pile of stones to wait until the headache stopped. After a few seconds, he recovered, and said to himself, "Where...am I?"

Riku then noticed the blue area he was in. He stood up in confusion and called out, "HELLO? ANYONE THERE?"

"HEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEYYYYYY!"

Meanwhile, in Xenotime, a large and quite plump character dressed in armor and torn sheets was watching a mother and two children laughing together while entering their house. The fat figure snickered and said, "Hyeh, heh, heh, heh! Keep laughing you fools, cuz as soon as I get in there, you and you little treasures are gonna be in the palm of my-!"

"**Well, well, well. Your quite eager for a walking mass of fur.**"

The fat figure turned around in shock, but there wasn't anyone there. He removed his hood to get a better look around him...

"Eh, must be my imagination."

"**Are you imagining ME?**"

The fat figure jumped in terror as the voice came from behind. He turned around again, and like before, there was no one there. The large frightened figure yelled out, "You think you can scare me? I'm a threat beyond anything you can dream of! So if you think you can mess with me so easily, then KNOW THIS! NOBODY, and I do mean NOBODY, MESSES WITH THE MIGHTY PETE!"

"**So, your one of THEM, eh?**"

And then, right before Pete, there was a tall and muscular man wearing red, orange and black garments, with dark-grey hair, and a black mask with red markings on it, shaped in the form of a heart with an X on the front.

"Hmm, a Genome, a big...fat...feline Genome, here in a small mountain town populated by gold-crazy folk. I can't help but ask, why are you away from Fantasia?" The man asked. Pete replied, "So, you know about Fantasia, huh? Well, figures that a big scary looking guy like you would-."

"**Scary? You think I'M scary?** You haven't seen 'scary' yet, my overweight troglodyte!"

Pete was a bit disturbed by the man's words. Pete then asked, "So, who are you? A magician?" The man replied, "Close, but no. Magicians are just silly people with funny hats and shiny capes claiming they are knowledgeable about the black arts. I am the reason your kind screams at night. I am human blood incarnate. I am the Dark Summoner. I am the first sin of humanity! I am the reason that there is a **NIGHTMARE**!"

"(sigh) Well, you get the idea, I'm the bad guy. I...am the Heartless King Crimson."

Pete was stunned by Crimson's almost horrific introduction, so he gulps and says, "W-well, the r-reason why I-I'm here is t-top secret. I can't tell you or anyone else!" Crimson loomed over Pete and said, "I could care less about what ridiculous plans you had. From the looks of you, pussy cat, you have no desire to return to your home, you are, what we called in earlier times, a guilty man, and with no other reason to live, you sought out what very little the planet has to offer. And that's just sad."

Crimson continuing, "BUT you are in luck my flabbergasted friend! There is a way to escape such a sad purpose. And that is..." As Crimson paused, Pete asked, "W-what? What is it?" Crimson turns around and said to Pete, "Instead of stealing riches and dishes and other household appliances, you could be more than a thief."

"You could be...a king."

Pete thought to himself, _King eh? That would be nice. I could take what I want, eat what I want, I could have EVERYTHING!_ Pete turned towards Crimson and said, "Pal, you just bought the services of the Mighty Pete! Just remember, you said you would make me king, but I want a say in the matter." Crimson asked, "What?"

Pete explained, "You see, I want to be the king of a part of Fantasia. But the part I want is the one where my former deckhand, Mickey Mouse, rules as the president, Disney Town! If you can give me control of that town, then I'll listen to any order you give me! Capish?"

Crimson gave a confused look at Pete, signifying how much of an idiot Pete was. He then replied, "Well...I guess I can pull some strings." Pete scratched his chin for a bit and then replied, "Is it really that difficult? I thought you were some powerhouse capable of anything."

Crimson replied, "Oh no, I am, I'm just confused as to why you would want that small town? With the magic I have, you could probably have more." Pete then asked, "You mean, I could own more than Disney Town?" Crimson replied, "DUH, BEAN-BRAIN! Now think, what else would you want?" Pete thought for a few seconds and asked, "Uh, what if I control the next town?"

Crimson then said, "That's...a good start. Now, how about I make a small addition to your plan..."

"**TAKE IT ALL!**"

Pete was startled by Crimson's loud voice, and so he asked, "W-why would I do that? I could just settle with two towns, then people would know just how fierce I can be!"

Crimson covered his face in embarrassment and explained, "Oh, your stupidity is a cancer that cannot be cured. The first thing you would want is revenge, obviously, so you can go for Disney Town first. But power-hungry men like you usually want more, right? (Pete: RIGHT!) So, you just spread your forces to the nearest towns and take THEM over. And when your done with those towns, you spread some more over the country, you repeat the process again, and again, and again, and so on. Until there is nothing, and no one left to stop you! AS SOON AS THAT'S DONE, YOU COULD TAKE ANOTHER COUNTRY THE SAME WAY! IT'S CALLED WORLD DOMINATION AND YOU'VE NEVER EVEN THOUGHT ABOUT THIS PLAN?"

Pete then realized what Crimson meant and said, "Oh, now I get it! I'll just take it all! Uh, but how? I don't have an army." Crimson patted Pete on the shoulder and stretched his hand out to the ground, then, out of his hand came a black ooze. It started to shape up into a small Golem that hissed at Pete and tried to attack him. Then Crimson grabbed the creature by the neck and using his index finger and thumb, he broke it's neck! After it disappeared, Crimson dusted his hands off and said, "Leave the army...to me."

End of Chapter 22

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**Next chapter: Crimson begins his first steps in building an army while Sora, Donald, Goofy, and the Elrics arrive at Xenotime...  
**

**Please Comment.  
**


	23. Chapter 23

**Last time, the Elric Brothers, Edward and Alphonse, and their bodyguard, Sora, were preparing to head for Xenotime, a small town where the three hope to find clues on the Philosopher Stone, and who was planning on making it. Meanwhile, the Genomes, Donald Duck and Goofy, were put in the service of Sora as military chimeras, a necessary cover by Colonel Roy Mustang, to keep them safe from anyone eager to know what they really are.**

**Meanwhile, in Xenotime, a fugitive from Fantasia named Pete, was already causing trouble by stealing from the citizens at night, but one night, he was approached by Crimson, who offered Pete a place in his army, in exchange for Pete's own kingdom. Little did Pete know what kind of plans Crimson had in mind for him...**

**Warning: Kingdom Hearts and Fullmetal Alchemist are both licensed by Square-Enix. The secondary licenses for both franchises are Disney (Kingdom Hearts), Aniplex, Bones Inc., and Funimation (Fullmetal Alchemist). **

**PS: There will be spoilers.**

* * *

Fullmetal Kingdom: The Fanfic

Chapter 23: The Other Elric Brothers?

Pete slowly enters Crimson's castle, keeping himself ready for any tricks the Heartless King could be hiding in his sanctuary. As Crimson was walking up the stairs, Pete followed and asked, "So, uh, why are we here?" Crimson replied, "A king needs his army as much as he needs his castle." Pete stepped back after hearing what his new employer said, "W-wait, you said I was gonna be king!" Crimson turned around and replied, "And I said I would make you a king, but first, you'll need to be my errand boy for a while until that happens."

A few minutes later, Pete was starting to get tired of walking through Crimson's castle, and so he asked, "Hey, can I have a drink? We've been walking for a long time." Crimson turned around and said, "This is the punishment you get for being so overweight. If you want to be a king, then you have to take what you are given and like it!"

Many moments later, Pete was finally out of breath. He fell face front on the stairs and asked, "(gasp) Are we (gasp) there yet? (gasp)" Crimson replied, "Get that face of yours off the stairs, my pets just finished cleaning it." Pete started to hear Golems hissing at him, so to avoid them, Pete stood back up.

Pete then saw before him a large door with ruins and alchemic writing on it. There were even murals on both sides of the door. As Pete walked next to Crimson to try and touch the mural, Crimson said to him, "You don't want to do that." Pete asked, "Why not? It's just a door. I just want to look at the engravings-." Crimson sighed and knocked Pete's hand away, "Only my enemies are allowed to touch my door. If you want to touch it, then...**you must prepare yourself.**"

Pete stepped back, fearing the serious tone in Crimson's voice. Crimson then opened the door by the handle and went inside, followed by the curious cat. Pete looked around and to his left side, he saw an enormous bookshelf with a large amount of books. And to his right, a bar with a small Golem preparing drinks, the selections were all fruit flavored wine, and there was no sign of any liquor, beer, or otherwise. As Pete stared in awe at the throne room, Crimson sat on his throne and said, "Are you going to stare all day? We have other matters to deal with."

Pete turned around and asked, "R-right, heh, heh, so what do we do first?" Crimson answered, "We will seek out more henchmen. Do you know anyone that might be of some assistance?" Pete replied, "Well, I haven't been to Amestris that long, but I've heard of a group of rebellions called the Eastern Liberation Front. They hate the military's guts! Almost every member of that group is a former soldier and state alchemist! Yeah, there should be plenty of those guys available for some help!"

Crimson asked, "Are there any in the Liberation Front that are specialized in combat, as well as alchemy?" Pete replied, "I don't know, I've just heard of the group's name and purpose, that's all! I don't know anyone famous."

Crimson then said to Pete, "Step off my carpet for a bit." And as Pete complied, Crimson stood up and clapped his hands, summoning the magic Broken Mirror once again. He walked toward it and clapped his hands again, then he touched 3 empty spaces, revealing the entire army of the Eastern Liberation Front.

"Hmmm, there are a few interesting looking rouges, automail limbs, battle-scarred flesh, even a few gun-toting hoodlums, my God, I think I've uncovered a treasure cove of POOR AND UNFORTUNATE SOULS!" Crimson turned to Pete and said, "Pete, go and recruit them! Find out if there are others like them, and then report to me!" Then Pete said, "Uh, sir, we're inside a castle in the middle of nowhere. How can we-?" And without saying a word, Crimson opened a black hole behind Pete and pushed him in.

Meanwhile, in Xenotime, Sora, the Elric Brothers, and the Genomes Donald and Goofy, have just arrived at the train station. Sora looks around an noticed a small town near a large mountain, with a large mansion nearby. Sora turned around and asked, "Hey Ed, is that it?" Ed walks over to Sora's side and replied, "Yep, that's Xenotime, the 'former' town of gold."

Al asked, "Do you really think we'll be able to find the Philosopher Stone in a run-down town like this?" Donald answered, "If not, then we'll be on our way back!" Ed looked at Donald with a suspicious look, "Why are you in such a hurry to go back, duck?" Donald replied, "BECAUSE YOU SUCK, THAT'S WHY! AND IT'S DONALD!" Ed shook his head, "(sigh) Why'd I have to get stuck with a stuck-up like you?"

Goofy grabbed the map of Xenotime and said, "Well, while we're here, lets look around. Who knows, maybe we'll find out about what they use to make their gold stuff." As Goofy lead the way to Xenotime, Al followed and said, "Well, looking around, it's hard to believe they produced much gold at all." Sora grabbed Donald and followed Ed as he followed Al and said, "Which is why they're all the more likely to be developing a Philosopher Stone."

As the group walked down the path towards Xenotime, Sora had to ask, "Hey Ed, can I ask you something?" Ed smiled and replied, "Let me guess, you don't want me to start any trouble here, right? Don't worry about the tantrums, I'll be good." Sora shook his head, "That's...good to know, I guess, but I was going to ask what you meant by what you said earlier?"

Ed answered, "About how the townspeople want the stone? Well you see Sora, now that their mines aren't producing gold, they've got plenty of reason to make it. And they can only do that with the Philosopher Stone." Sora looked at Xenotime and thought to himself, _So, these people are willing to use the Philosopher Stone to make gold for their empty pockets. Is money really all they really care about?_

A few minutes later, Ed, Sora, and the others were almost at Xenotime when suddenly-

(CRASH)

"Elisa!"

Sora, Ed, and the others stopped walking and noticed a ruckus going on nearby.

As they approached the crowd of people, they noticed a middle-aged man trying to get a mining cart off of a small girl. A few townspeople came to the man's assistance and tried to move the cart off, but to their shock, the cart wouldn't budge an inch.

The girl looked up at the man with a frightened expression, "(sniff)D-daddy?" the man bent down and said, "Don't worry Elisa, we'll get you out of this, I promise!" Sora walked over and asked, "What's wrong?" The father of the girl replied, "It's my daughter! She's trapped!"

Ed came over and observed the mining cart, then he looked at the girl and said, "Don't move, OK?" The girl nodded as Ed stood back up and clapped his hands. And then, after a bright light appeared, the girl was amazed at what she saw...

Right next to her, the girl saw a large black pillar made of metal. The father helped his daughter up and hugged her, feeling thankful for the miracle that was bestowed upon them by the strange looking visitors.

That night, the townspeople invited the Elric Brothers over for a drink at one of their small restaurants while Sora, Donald, and Goofy went to a small motel to find rooms for them to sleep in until their work in the town was finished.

The townspeople gathered around the Elric Brothers with welcoming smiles and gave them plenty to eat. The father of the little girl came up and shook Ed's hand, "Thank you so much for helping my dear Elisa, sir. I don't know what would have happened if you didn't arrive in time." Elisa tugged her father's sleeve and said, "Wait daddy, you forgot to thank his metal father."

"WAAAAA?" Al stared in disbelief at being called Ed's father. Ed giggled for a short while until he said to Elisa, "No, you got it all wrong. Al's not my father, he's just my younger brother." Elisa became confused by the explanation, "Younger brother? But he's so much bigger than you." Elisa's words disturbed Ed as much as they did to Al.

As Ed stood growling in annoyance, a man with a basket of lemons burst through the doors, "Elisa, are you all right?" The little girl smiled and ran to the man, "Uncle Belsio, ha, ha-!" But before she could hug her uncle, her father stopped her and said to Belsio, "You...you monster! It's because of you that my little girl almost lost her life! GET OUT!"

Elisa came before her father and said, "Don't blame Uncle Belsio Dad, it's my fault! I wanted to help him, I begged him to let-(cough, cough)!" Elisa's sudden cough stopped all the anger in her father's heart, he bent down, gave her a small glass of water and said, "Elisa, calm down, please, I didn't mean to upset you honey."

Belsio then put the basket of lemons on a table and said, "...I really am sorry." As he left, Elisa finished her drink and said to her father, "Uncle Belsio always said your lemon pies were the best dad. And that it was a shame that all the lemon farms were shut down. I thought that if I could help him, I could have a chance to taste your pies." The father smiled and said to her, "Now, now, no more tears. I promise you, everything's going to be like it was before. When the Philosopher Stone is complete, we'll be rich enough to bring all the fruit we want from the next town."

Ed stood up in amazement and said, "The Philosopher Stone?" The father turned towards Ed with a smile and said, "Yes, that's it! The two of you must have arrived at Xenotime to assist Mugear with his research and finish the Philosopher Stone. Please, do what you can. We want Xenotime to be once again called the 'Town of Gold'!"

Ed slightly smiled and said, "Wow, that sure puts a lot of pressure on us. I guess we'll have to see this Mugear and see what we can do." The father than asked, "Oh, before you do that, can you tell us the names of our saviors?" Ed replied, "Alright, why not? The name's Edward Elric. You might have known me as the Fullmetal Alchemist." Al then spoke, "And I'm his younger brother, Alphonse Elric."

"The Elric Brothers? State Alchemist, 'Hero of the People' Elric?"

"Yup!"

...

Back in the motel, Sora came into a room and looked around. He was followed by an elderly woman. He turned towards her and said, "I guess I'll take this room." The old lady then said, "Alright, let's see, a few rooms for you and your friends, that will be...1,000 gil from each of you." Sora took out his wallet and said, "I'll take'em, here's 5,000 for me and my friends."

Just then, an assistant of the old woman came up and whispered in her ear. Her face was shocked to hear what he said. Then she turned towards Sora and said, "Sorry, new policy, we'll need 50,000 from you." Sora's eyes widened, "W-WHA? What happened to 1,000 gil for each?" The woman replied, "Here's what happened...YOU TRIED TO PULL A FAST ONE ON US, THAT'S WHAT HAPPENED!"

Sora, Donald, and Goofy were then thrown outside humiliatingly. Sora stood up and yelled, "You know, one of these days, people are gonna riot about this!" The old woman smirked and said, "HA! That coming from the accomplice of the FAKES! Tell ya what, we'll reduce the price when you tell us who you really are! And tell you ugly friends over there to ditch the costumes!"

As soon as the woman slammed the door shut, Goofy's eyes started to tear up, "I-I'm not ugly." Donald shook his fist at the hotel and yelled out, "WE'RE CUTER THAN YOU, YA WASHED UP PIECE OF-!" Just then, Ed came out of nowhere and said, "So you guys were thrown out too?"

Sora looked at Ed and asked, "What's with this town? Me, an accomplice of fakes? What the heck was that about? I don't remember working for anyone but you two!" Ed laughed and said, "Yeah, I told them that I was the Fullmetal Alchemist and they said almost the same thing, that I was a liar and a 'fake'."

Sora walked up to Ed and started looking at him funny. Ed asked, "Uh, what are you doing?" Sora then started pulling his hair, and examining his coat. Sora then asked, "Are you REALLY Edward Elri-?" Ed punched Sora in the face with his metal arm and replied, "YOU THINK I'M A FAKE? WHAT THE HELL KIND OF A BODYGUARD ARE YOU?"

Sora stood back up with a black eye and said, "OK, your not a fake. Only the real Ed could have a tantrum like a spoiled little girl." Ed yelled out loud, "WHO YOU CALLING A 6 YEAR OLD GIRL WITH A SMALL STATURE OF A SHORTYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY!"

Al then said to Sora, "The people were really nice to us, but then, when Ed told them who he was, the people told him that the 'real' Elric Brothers were staying in a mansion in the mountain near this town." Sora turned toward the mansion on the mountain and then looked at the Elrics and asked, "Let me guess, you guys want to know who these other Elrics are?"

Ed replied, "Damn right."

Meanwhile, in the Eastern Liberation Front HQ, a few members were chatting with each other. One said to the other...

"So here's the plan. We sneak really quiet-like into the prison and-."

"And what? Get our skulls blown off our shoulders?"

"He's right, there has to be another way to break in without getting ourselves caught!"

"Well, we have plenty of weapons, we could just blow the wall down and let our leader out!"

"I'm telling you guys, there's no way we can do this without getting killed. We've fought the military for as long as I can remember, and we haven't had ONE SINGLE VICTORY!"

"If only we had something that could blow the military down, something as strong as a fortress, something invulnerable, something that could blow them away!"

Just then, a dark portal appeared behind one of the members, and out of the portal, there came a large mass of furry flab wearing strange clothes. The fat creature stood up, dizzily, and said, "Well boys, DO I HAVE A SURPRISE FOR YOU! (barf)"

End of Chapter 23

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**Next chapter, The group comes face to face with the ones posing as the Elrics while Sora encounters an old friend...**

**Please Comment.  
**


	24. Chapter 24

**Last time, the leader of the Golems, Crimson, made a deal with Pete, in return for finding him more minions to work with, he would offer Pete the power he needed to rule Fantasia. **

**As the fat feline made his first step in recruiting the Eastern Liberation Front for Crimson's army, the Elric Brothers and Sora finally arrive at Xenotime, a mining town seeking the Philosopher Stone. The townspeople greeted them with open arms until Ed told them who he was. The citizens became enraged and said that 'the REAL Elric Brothers' were already working in Mugear's Mansion. **

**As the Elrics were mistreated, so was Sora and his new Genome friends, Donald and Goofy. Believing that all five of them were fakers, Edward decided to root out the real fakes and find out why they used the name Elric for their benefit...**

**Warning: Kingdom Hearts and Fullmetal Alchemist are both licensed by Square-Enix. The secondary licenses for both franchises are Disney (Kingdom Hearts), Aniplex, Bones Inc., and Funimation (Fullmetal Alchemist). **

**PS: There will be spoilers.**

* * *

Fullmetal Kingdom: The Fanfic

Chapter 24: Elric vs Elric

"Now why would somebody go around using our names?" Ed asked himself, Donald replied, "Maybe someone's paying you back for taking our ticket off this junk pile you call a country." Ed snapped, "CAN IT, 'QUACKERS' FOR BRAINS!" Al then asked, "Brother, are you really going to break into that mansion?" Ed replied, "Of coarse WE are, to confront these imposters! And get them to tell us about the Philosopher Stone!"

As the group approached the mansion, they climbed over the wall and quietly walked past the security, of coarse, Donald tripped and startled one of the guards, "W-what the?". The guard took up his rifle and went to investigate the noise, "It better not be one of those damn kids again!"

Donald tried to sneak into the nearest bush to hide, but before he could, the guard found him! "What the hell? Everyone, over here! There's some strange looking duck wearing clothes!" The other guards ran to the guard to see the strange intruder, but when the guard turned around to look at Donald, he was already gone!

The other guards arrived, but were pretty peeved at the one guard who called them. The guard tried to explain, "I-it's not what you think! I saw something, I really did! There was a duck you see, and it was wearing a sailor's uni-." One of the guards shook his head and said, "...lay off the Potions kiddo."

As the guards (including the one who saw Donald) walked away, Donald was in the arms of Goofy, who saved his life at the last minute, "You OK Donald?" Donald replied, "N-n-n-never felt better! (sigh) that was a close one!"

Meanwhile, inside the mansion, two boys were working on experiments with red water. The tall elder brother examined the red water and started writing notes, "Yes, this should be sufficient." and as he studied the red water, the small younger brother transmuted a small drop of the red water on a plant. The plant instantly turned red, so the younger brother called the elder to observe the plant.

The elder smiled and said, "Good work Fletcher. With this development in the red water, Xenotime will prosper in no time." Fletcher replied, "Thanks Russel. I just hope Mr. Mugear will approve this time." Russel replied, "Pfff, that guy's more busy counting the money in his pocket. A thug like him could never-!" Just then, the two brothers noticed a flash of light outside the window.

Fletcher turned towards Russel and asked, "Brother, was that-?" Russel nodded, "An transmutation."

Outside, Ed transmuted a door to sneak inside of the mansion. Sora said, "I'll go first." Sora quietly went through and took a look around, trying to see if there was anyone inside the room. The room was silent and empty, with plenty of books on the shelves. Sora called to Ed and the others, "It's clear, come on."

As Donald, Goofy and the Elric Brothers came in, Ed walked towards one of the book shelves and started to look around. Sora asked, "What are you looking for?" Ed replied, "Information...but look at these books over here." Ed passed three books to Sora, who read the titles, "Yoga Vasistha, Mutus Liber, The Emerald Tablet? What kind of books are these?"

Ed answered, "They were books that were about the Philosopher Stone!"

While looking through the books, Donald then said, "Clearly, we're in a library for alchemists. All the books I'm looking at are about the Philosopher Stone. It's a sure bet that the other books are about the same stone." Al then said, "Then this mansion is where they're making it, right?" Sora nodded, "No doubt about it."

"In case the guards weren't a clue, this place is off limits!"

The group were startled when they heard the voice. Sora then noticed a door opened in front of him, and standing there, were two blond boys, one young and small (Fletcher), and the other older and tall (Russel).

Ed then asked, "Let me guess, you two are the ones who stole our names?" Russel looked at Al and said, "Hmm, I take it that your the real Fullmetal Alchemist, right?" Al pointed at himself with a confused look, "M-ME?" Russel answered, "Yes you, in the metal suit. You are the Fullmetal, right?"

"NO YOU DOLT, IT'S ME, NOT HIM! WHY DOES EVERYONE THINK THAT?"

Fletcher looked at Ed with curiosity, "Wha? So your the older brother?"

"**DAMN RIGHT, TINY!**"

Fletcher hid behind Russel, who then looked at Ed and said, "Try and tone it down a notch, or the gunmen will realize your here. Still, it's amusing to see that the Fullmetal Alchemist himself would partner up with a band of strange looking thieves, including these two. I mean, what are those things, huh? They can't be regular Chimeras from the military."

Goofy tried to correct him, "Uh, actually sir, we're not-(oof)!" Donald knocked Goofy out in the nick of time, "W-what he meant to say was YES, we were made in the military." Russel looked at Donald with a suspicious look, "I remember the military making chimeras like you, but the ones they made weren't as friendly as you or your friend here. So what are you really?"

Donald was shocked to know that Russel figured it out so well, Sora then said, "That's not important right now! You've been posing as the Elrics, so the real question is...Who are you really, and why are you doing this?" Fletcher replied, "It's nothing bad, we promise. We're making the stone for Xenotime, that's it. It's our home and we want to help it."

Russel nodded, "My brother's an honest one. We have been hard at work trying to help this town, but we needed an easier way of helping the people, and that's when we heard about the 'hero of the people' himself...Edward Elric. So Ed, instead of humiliating you, we made you an even bigger hero by posing as you and your younger brother. But this was a real bizarre turn of events, the Fullmetal was in need of protection, so the state hired some kid with a knack for protecting others, and to think that the real Alphonse Elric wore a suit of armor to protect himself, it's hard to believe your really 14."

Al then asked, "How do you know so much about us?" Russel replied, "How do you think? You two were in the newspapers, magazines, posters, we've heard everything about you, even the fact that you had your own bodyguard." Sora walked up to Russel and asked, "Does that mean you also have a body guard?" Russel smiled and said, "We couldn't just be the Elrics, we needed their bodyguard Sora as well. Thankfully, we acquired someone that could pull it off."

Fletcher then noticed someone walking up to him...

"Oh, hi Tidus."

Sora was shocked to hear the name, he turned around and saw Tidus standing right next to Fletcher. Sora could hardly believe Tidus was standing there before him, after hearing that most of the orphans from the Y. O. U. T. H. Orphanage disappeared, he thought he'd never see his old friend again.

"Tidus? Your alive! Your really alive!" Sora ran to Tidus and grabbed his hand, "Dude, what happened to you? And Wakka, where's Wakka? Is Lulu and Tina here to? And the others, are they here?"

"**No.**"

Tidus squeezed Sora's hand and took Sora by the collar, "You weren't there for us, you didn't care, SO WHY SHOULD I CARE...ABOUT WHAT HAPPENED TO THEM OR YOU?" Tidus threw Sora into a bookshelf without any warning! Sora tried to stand up, but Tidus grabbed him by the hair and threw him across the room, Sora went through every bookshelf in the room until colliding with the brick wall.

Russel smirked and said, "Heh, I guess mine's stronger." Fletcher then said to Tidus, "Tidus, stop attacking him! I mean it, he didn't attack us, so you didn't have to hurt him like that!" Tidus stops moving and turns towards Fletcher, "Yes master." While regaining consciousness, Sora noticed something glowing on Tidus's forehead. Sora stood up and asked, "Tidus, what are you wearing on your forehead?"

Tidus gave him a cold look, "That's none of your concern, traitor."

Russel turned towards Ed and said, "Well, seeing as how I have the upper hand, lets call the fight off. You can take you so-called bodyguard and your other pets, turn around, go home, and leave us to handle things here." Sora said to Russel, "I'm not leaving...without my friend!" Tidus looked at Sora and said, "We're not friends, Sora. We were never friends."

Ed then said, "Alright buddy, I don't know what's going on with those two, but it's clear you did something to him!" Russel then said, "Actually Ed, I found him like that a few days ago. He had no hesitation, no fear, no one looking after him, so I took him with me, while we were heading for Xenotime, we were attacked relentlessly, but while my alchemy got us out of a few jams, Tidus got us out of most of them. His strength, agility, and skill with a sword was enough to help me and Fletcher."

Sora yelled at Russel, "Your lying! Tell me what you've done to him!" Russel replied, "It's as I said, he was like that when we first met. So anyway Ed, sorry if my plans pissed you off, now get lost before my bodyguard tears your bodyguard apart." Ed replied, "That's not how you beg someone to do something! Al, help Sora." Al nodded, "A-alright."

Ed looked at Russel and pointed to the ground, "ON YOUR KNEES!" After a while of waiting, Ed said, "I said get down on the ground!" Russel then asked, "Why, so we could see eye to eye? Surely, you must be used to people looking down on you."

"?"

Ed throws a fist at Russel, but the young man simply moved his head and evaded it. Ed tried again, and failed, Ed tried again, but failed again. Angered, Ed threw a wave of punches at Russel, who successfully dodged each one. Tidus then grabbed Ed's fist and kicked him away. The force of the kick knocked Ed into a wall.

Tidus then noticed the glove from Ed's right hand in his hand. Without the glove, Russel could see Ed's arm exposed, "An automail arm, huh? I guess the real Ed's seen some action to." Ed stood up and replied, "Heh, and I'm glad you've got some skills to, I'd hate for you to be damaging my name!" Ed ran right at Russel with another fist ready to make contact, but before he could, "TIDUS!" Russel summons Tidus to stop Ed, but to Tidus's amazement, Ed ducked the very second Tidus reached out towards him.

Ed then grabbed Tidus by the leg and said, "Since you have a talent for tossing my bodyguard around, lets see how YOU like it!" Ed gathered all his strength and lifted Tidus off the floor, then he span around and tossed him into another bookshelf!

Ed smiled and looked at Russel, "You can't rely on your pawns to fight your battles!" Russel gave an amused look at Ed and replied, "...good point." And just then, he lept towards Ed and punched his face! "You know, I've always wanted to find out what a bonafide State Alchemist was capable of?" Ed replied, "And I think your gonna be sorry you asked!"

Ed then transmuted large spikes to attack Russel, but the young alchemist dodged the attack and then, "Not bad, you don't even need a circle!" In red light, he summoned the same spikes to attack Ed! Sora threw his Keyblade at the spikes, destroying them instantly, "It looks like this guy doesn't need a circle either." Sora said. Al ran to Ed, "Brother, are you alright?" Ed stood up and asked Russel, "Grrr, that red light, where'd it come from?" Russel smiled and pulled out a small red stone, "I guess it came from this."

Ed, Sora and Al were shocked when they saw what Russel had, "A PHILOSOPHER STONE?"

Just then, Al noticed Tidus coming right at them with his Brotherhood sword! "Look out!" Al grabbed Sora and Ed and jumped out of the way of Tidus's attack! And then, Sora noticed something, as Tidus's hair was moving, he noticed a silver band around his head...

Sora thought to himself, _A headband? Since when did Tidus...wait! I've seen it before, t-that can't be!_

_A Slave Crown?_

As soon as Al landed on the ground and put Ed and Sora down, they heard voices approaching, "What was that noise?" "It came from over there!" It was the guards from outside.

Goofy and Donald ran to the door Ed transmuted to get in the library, Donald called out, "Come on, we gotta go!" Al, Ed, and Sora ran to the door, but Sora stopped and looked at Tidus. He asked, "Tidus, come with us! We have to find the others!" But Tidus just turned away and said, "Just shut up and leave."

"SORA, GET OUT OF THERE!" Ed said out loud, Sora turned back at the door and left with the others. Russel looked at Tidus as he walked past him, "You know, it wouldn't hurt to say hello to that kid. After all, he was your friend." Tidus looked at Russel and replied, "Yes master."

Fletcher watched as Tidus walk past him and the guards, Tidus's cold eyes always seemed to bother Fletcher, so he walked towards Russel and asked, "Brother, why is Tidus so angry with the Fullmetal's bodyguard?" Russel replied, "I don't have the answers Fletcher. Ever since we found Tidus, he's always been acting like some soulless doll, but ever since that, uh, Sora kid came around, he's been acting like a psycho. Honestly, I think he really intended on killing Sora."

"But Sora seems to think of Tidus like an old friend. How could Tidus throw him off like that brother?" Russel replied, "I don't know Fletcher...and honestly, I don't think I want to know."

End of Chapter 24

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**Next chapter, Sora tells the Elrics about the Slave Crown, and a creeping shadow makes her move...**

**Please Comment.  
**


	25. Chapter 25

**Last time, The Elric Brothers and Sora were welcomed by the citizens of Xenotime for saving a child from being crushed, but when the townspeople asked who they were and Ed explained that he and Al were the Elrics, they were quickly thrown out and misstreated. The townspeople beleived that the real Elric Brothers were already in the mansion of Mugear, a land baron that put the so-called Elrics to work on saving the town.**

**Curious, Edward decided to find out who the imposters were, and as he brought Sora, Alphonse, and their Genomes, Donald and Goofy, they snook into the mansion and found themselves face to face with the imposters, Russel and Fletcher. But like the real Elrics, the fake ones had their own bodyguard, Tidus! Sora approached his old friend from the orphanage and asked where their friends were, but Tidus immediately regarded him as a traitor and attacked him.**

**As the two bodyguards fought, Edward had his hands full with Russel, the elder brother, who used what appeared to be a Philosopher Stone to boost his alchemy and rival Ed. During the fight, Sora caught a glimpse at something Tidus wore around his forehead, a Slave Crown!**

**After that, the heroes leave the premises to fight another day while Fletcher and Russel question why Tidus was so cold to his old friend...**

**Warning: Kingdom Hearts and Fullmetal Alchemist are both licensed by Square-Enix. The secondary licenses for both franchises are Disney (Kingdom Hearts), Aniplex, Bones Inc., and Funimation (Fullmetal Alchemist). **

**PS: There will be spoilers.**

* * *

Fullmetal Kingdom: The Fanfic

Chapter 25: Wandering Minds

After they escaped the mansion, Sora and the Elric Brothers sat on a small hill, looking at the moonlight. Donald and Goofy in the meantime went down town to see if there are any motels that would allow them and their friends to sleep for the night.

Ed broke the silence and said, "Damn, my body aches all over!" Al then said to Ed, "You'd think he was pretty powerful, huh?" Ed shrugged and said, "Hmph, he had something give him a boost! That damn red rock in his hand! IF HE DIDN'T HAVE THAT STONE, I COULD'VE KICKED HIS TEETH OUT!"

Sora then asked, "...does that mean they're finished with the Philosopher Stone?" Ed replied, "I don't know, but we're gonna find out." Alphonse then wondered to himself, "Hmm, I wonder what their real names are, or if they're really brothers at all? And I wonder if the older brother is actually much older than you are, or-!" Ed pushes Al over in response, "SIZE DOESN'T MEAN ANYTHING!" Sora replied, "Well, we're bound to find out sooner or later. Come on, let's check on Donald and Goofy."

Ed then looked at Sora and said, "By the way, you've been acting funny ever since we got out of the mansion. You've been sitting with us with a really serious look on your face. Are you feeling OK?" Sora fanned his hand and replied, "Hey, come on! I'm fine, I'm just eager to get the stone as soon as possible, just like you two."

Al then asked, "Sora, we don't know about your past, but it was clear that you had some history with that Tidus person." Ed stood up and said, "I knew it! You were thinking about your former buddy! Look Sora, just take my advice and don't get near him. Whatever issues he's got isn't worth finding out at the cost of your life."

"Neither is finding out about the Philosopher Stone."

Ed and Al couldn't believe what came out of Sora's mouth, so Al asked, "Sora, why would you say that? You know we're only trying to restore our bodies. We need the Philosopher Stone for that." Sora replied, "Yeah well, the world doesn't revolve around you two and what you want! Did you ever think about what other people would want? Or are you too busy looking for a piece of jewelry to use to make your three wishes come true?"

The Elrics were even more confused as to why Sora was acting so furious. Sora sighed and said, "I-I'm sorry, alright? I just...need to get some sleep, that's all!" Al grabbed Sora by the shoulder and asked, "Sora, something did happen, didn't it? (Sora: Let go Al!) Sora please! You can tell us, we're your friends."

Sora looked at the Elrics and slowly nodded, signifying his acceptance to tell them what was wrong. Sora turned around and said to the Elrics, "...Tidus...he's wearing a Slave Crown."

Ed and Al were startled at how serious Sora sounded, though they never heard of a Slave Crown, they were starting to get a good idea about how bad the situation was.

Back at the mansion, Russel and Fletcher were continuing their progress on the red water. While checking on the plants used for their experiments, Fletcher said to Russel, "Brother, maybe we should give up this ruse before we get caught. What if the real Elric Brothers turn us in, then what?" Russel replied, "Don't worry, nobody around here is going to believe anything they say. So just concentrate on finishing the stone so we can skip town."

Fletcher still felt unsure, "I just hope it works out that way." while he was examining a bottle of red water, Russel said, "Well I'm not going to let Mugear take all the credit for all the work dad devoted his entire life to!" Fletcher was about to say something, but Russel interrupted and said, "Don't worry Fletch, if it comes down to that, I'll make sure you get away safely, no matter what."

Russel was quite confident in his and Fletcher's ability to succeed, but he was unaware of how Fletcher felt about the plan. Fletcher thought to himself, _You don't get it brother...I'm not worried about myself. _

_There's a lot more going on than that._

Meanwhile, under the mansion, there was a large tunnel filled with candles. The tunnel lead to a large chamber, where a fountain of red water was bursting out. Observing the spring of water was a pudgy old man.

As he stared into the glowing red source of power, a woman's voice was heard, "You really shouldn't be that close to the red water." The man was startled at first, but he went calm after seeing the woman who spoke to him, Lust. The old man said to her, "I wasn't expecting you." Lust then said, "And I didn't expect you to let those kids in."

The old man was startled at Lust's knowledge of the sudden break in. The old man explained, "T-there's no need to worry, my men scared off the Elric Brothers! I think we've seen the last of them." Lust shook her head in disappointment and said, "Don't be funny with me, Mugear. It's going to take more than a bunch of muscle-headed men and an amnesiac bodyguard to scare them away. Heh, it's actually quite a desirable trait they possess. The will to keep going. Well, we'll see how long they can keep going when their new friend is long gone."

Mugear asked, "You mean the Elric's bodyguard? The one from Y. O. U. T. H. that was inexperienced? Don't worry about it, Tidus was more than enough to beat that little-" Lust looked at him and said, "Are you sure he was beaten? That boy destroyed a giant monster in Central and you think some other skilled brat can beat him?"

Mugear then said, "W-well my dear, it's not the size that counts-" Lust gave an annoyed look, "Are you correcting me?" Mugear's heart skipped a beat that moment. Mugear then said to Lust, "N-not at all mam. This time, I'll make sure the Elrics get the point! I'll send Tidus out at once!"

Lust smiled and walked towards the exit, but before she did, she looked at Mugear and said, "You had your shot, but maybe it's time you called the quits, Mugear." Mugear bent down and pleaded, "A little more time, please, I beg you! That's all I need, a little more time! I promise you, by the time this week is over, I'll have completed the Philosopher Stone."

Lust glared at Mugear, "**MAKE IT FAST!** You know I hate being dissatisfied."

Back on the hill, Sora was explaining the Slave Crown to the Elrics...

"A few years back, Y. O. U. T. H. was already overstocked with countless children. Many of them seemed to hyper to train, and many others seemed too violent to listen to reason. That was when one of the co-founders of Y. O. U. T. H. thought of a way to solve the problem...the Slave Crown. It was a simple accessory that had a strange gem on the center. Around the band, there were ruins written in, Riku translated the writing for me when we were younger, they read...

_'For those who seek to kneel, _

_place me on their brow, _

_for I, the Puppeteers Wheel, _

_shall have you forever now.'_

The words were linked together so that they can be used as a Transmutation Circle. When an alchemist activates the transmutation, the wearer of the Slave Crown becomes an obedient servant. They will follow any order given to them, even the most...unimaginable orders. They were placed on every last one of those children, and because of them, the children were no longer difficult to deal with."

Ed then said, "So those things can control anyone that wears them?" Sora replied, "Yes, they worked so well, that none of the founders objected. None...except one." Al asked, "Who?" Sora smiled and answered, "...my teacher." Ed then asked, "Really? I never would have guessed. So who is he?" Before Sora could answer, the three heard someone approach them.

It was the girl's uncle, Belsio, whom Ed then remembered, "Hey, you're the guy with the lemons." He said to the three boys, "If you need a place to board up, you can come with me."

After a few hours, Belsio lead the Elric Brothers and Sora to his house. There, he prepared something for the Elrics to eat while Sora would go out and look for Donald and Goofy. While they waited, Alphonse said, "Thank you for helping us." Belsio replied, "I couldn't just let you guys sleep outside, could I?"

Ed felt suspicious, so he had to ask, "Aren't you gonna ask us what our names are?" Belsio replied, "Your the Elric Brothers, that's what you say." Al stood up from his seat, "So you believe us?" Belsio replied, "Honestly...not in the least. But I guess you kids have you're own reasons for saying you are. Makes no difference to me."

Ed then noticed something, "...you don't seem into the Philosopher Stone like your neighbors are." Belsio sat down and said, "Everyone is unable or unwilling to forget the wealth gold once brought them. So Mugear's got them all wrapped around his finger."

"I'm back."

Sora came in with Donald and Goofy following him. Goofy took his hat off to Belsio, "Hi mister, thanks again for giving us a place to stay." Belsio replied, "No problem, there's some porridge on the table if you want any." Goofy saw the bowl filled with lemon porridge and licked his chops, "Gwarsh! It smells so good (ahyuk)." Goofy then took a spoonful and tasted the porridge, "Hmm? It...it...IT TASTES EVEN BETTER!"

At the next morning, Ed, Al, Donald, and Goofy came out of the guest room. Donald looked around the kitchen and asked, "Hey Fullmetal, where's Sora?" Ed replied, "How should I know? I'm not his nanny!" Then the four heard Belsio answer, "It's OK, your friend couldn't fit in the guest room, so he slept outside."

Back outside, Sora's closed eyes were met by the sun's peaceful rising. Sora smiled and stood back up from the bed of hay he made for himself. He did a quick stretch and walked towards the door, but before he got a chance to knock on the door, someone else knocked, it was Elisa, the little girl from yesterday who was trapped under a mining cart until Ed rescued her.

Belsio answered the door, "Elisa? What are you doing here? Your father won't approve-." Elisa interrupted, "Oh don't worry about daddy, he's too hyped up for the gold mine to even notice." Belsio lets Elisa in and closes the door on Sora, setting in an awkward moment.

"Well, since I'm not wanted here, I might as well check out the town." Sora said with an annoyed voice.

Back inside, Belsio remembered, "Oh yeah, I forgot to let the kid in!" But before he could, the Elrics and the two Genomes greeted him, "Good morning." Alphonse said. While she sat in a chair near the dinning table, she noticed the two Elrics and walked over to them, "Hey there, it's the make believe Elric Brothers and their cool looking pets."

Goofy smiled and blushed, "Gwarsh, you think I'm...cool? (ahyuk) I've never been called cool before!" Donald shook his head at Goofy and turned to the girl, "We're not pets, miss. We're proud agents of a free society on a mission to search for our leader and friend!" Elisa asked, "You're what now?" Donald thought to himself, _CRUD! I gave away my secret mission again! _Elisa patted Donald and said with a smile, "Hey Mr. Duck, ha ha, you got big eyes! (giggle) your funny looking!" As Elisa hugged him like a stuffed animal, Donald scratched the back of his head, "Uh...thanks, I think."

Elisa then noticed Ed's bruise on his cheek, "Hey, that looks like it hurt, did somebody hit you because you were telling lies again?" Ed covered his bruise and replied, "I'm telling you kid, we're not the imposters, but I did get clocked by one!" Elisa then realized, "Wait, you didn't break into Mugear's mansion, did you pretend brothers?"

Ed angrily replied, "OF COARSE WE DID! We can't just let those phoneys run around using our names! Besides, it's a major crime to use the Philosopher Stone to make gold! He's going down-" Ed was going to continue, but Al stopped him in time to see Elisa's face. She looked like she was going to cry, so Ed dropped the subject.

Ed went to the door and said, "I'm gonna see what I can find out in town." Donald then said to him, "Wait, we'll go with you! After all, Sora might be outside! Come on Goofy!"

Meanwhile in Xenotime, Sora walked through the town, looking for a place where they sold food. As he walked, he saw the townspeople watch him and chat with each other about how he was associated with the supposed 'fake' Elrics.

He didn't pay any attention to their words, instead, he continued looking around the place for a food joint. Just then, as he was walking, a conversation between two people caught his ear...

"It's hard to believe Father Cornello's supporters would just come back to him like that! I mean, the Elrics exposed him for a fraud, and yet, after watching him perform one of his supposed miracles, the people of Lior just up and ran straight back to him! What did he do that was so inspiring to them?"

"Well, from what I've heard, he found countless birds dead in front of his temple and then (snap's his fingers) brings'em back to life! It's never an easy feat to resurrect something that's already been dead, but I've got to admit, I'm starting to believe in miracles. After that fiasco, people started switching sides, there were fights, battles, and even bloodshed, and for what? The different opinions about what was real and what wasn't? Give me a break!"

"I kinda wish I could do something to help, but then again, they are Ishbalins. They'll do anything for their supposed God."

"Well, other than the religious issues, I heard that a girl with funny looking hair was trying to stop the conflict. She doesn't have much support, but she seems pretty sure of herself. She won't stand a chance though, it's only a matter of time until she cracks under the pressure, just like the rest of'em."

Sora could barely contain his disbelief of what he heard, _Rose...I...I have to go back!_

"I knew I'd find you here!"

Sora snapped out of his thoughts and looked in front of him, there, standing before him, was Tidus!

"What do you say we finish what we started?"

End of Chapter 25

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**Next Chapter, Sora finds himself in a battle against an unpredictable foe while Alphonse encounters an unlikely friend...**

**Please Comment  
**


	26. Chapter 26

**Last time, the Elrics and Sora take a breather after encountering the fake Elrics. As they did, Sora told them about the mysterious headband that Tidus wore, it was called the Slave Collar, a banned accessory made by Y. O. U. T. H. to control the minds of the uncooperative orphan assassins. After Sora's explanation, Belsio, the uncle of the little girl Ed rescued, came to them and offered them a place to spend the night.**

**But as the heroes rested, the owner of the mansion, Mugear, was visited by his employer, Lust, who came to town to check up on the pudgy baron's progress in forging the Philosopher Stone. But the homunculus also knew of the Elric's recent intrusion of the mansion, so Lust commands Mugear to kill off their bodyguard, Sora.**

**The next day, Sora went down town to look for a place to eat, but the Keyblade Master was surprised to overhear a conversation between two men about Lior being the battlefield of the military and the followers of the false prophet, Cornello. And even worse, Rose was caught in the middle of it all.**

**Sora knew that he had to return, but his plans to stop the bloodshed were put aside at the moment, as Tidus arrived in time to put an end to his friend's "story" once and for all...  
**

**Warning: Kingdom Hearts and Fullmetal Alchemist are both licensed by Square-Enix. The secondary licenses for both franchises are Disney (Kingdom Hearts), Aniplex, Bones Inc., and Funimation (Fullmetal Alchemist). **

**PS: There will be spoilers.**

* * *

Fullmetal Kingdom: The Fanfic

Chapter 26: A Fractured Story

As Tidus brought out his Brotherhood sword, Sora tried to reason with him, "Listen Tidus, I don't know what happened to you or the others, but I swear to you, I never intended to leave you! I was trying to save Riku and the Orphanage!" But Tidus replied, "Yeah, and because of that, you forgot about us! Your always forgetting us, aren't you? You even forgot why I even signed up with you guys in the first place!"

Sora asked, "It's because of **him**, isn't it?" Tidus sneered, "It figures you'd guess that, you were a big fan of his!" Sora then asked, "I'm not interested in talking about your father! I just want to know the real reason you hate me!" Tidus yelled, "BECAUSE YOU ABANDONED US!"

Sora shook his head, "No, you abandoned your friends!" Tidus pointed his sword at Sora and said, "I'm not like you! Your the one who abandoned us!" Sora yelled back at Tidus, "I never abandoned anyone, you left your friends stranded in the middle of nowhere and your taking it out on me! Were you even thinking straight, or were you thinking at all?"

Just then, a strange black mist came out of Tidus's body, and his eyes started glowing red, "Funny, you sound just like **him**! He always acted like he knew better than anyone! Like the whole world had to agree with him! Well sometimes the world can disagree!" Sora knew there was something wrong with his old friend, so he tried to reason with him again, "Something's wrong with you Tidus, something unnatural! You always had something against your father, but your taking your rage way too far! It has to be the band your wearing!"

"**YOUR NOT LISTENING TO ME? I HATE YOU, I HATE THE ORPHANAGE, I HATE RIKU, I HATE MY OLD MAN, I HATE YOU ALL! I'LL KILL YOU, THEN I'LL KILL THEM, THEN I'LL KILL MY FATHER, I'LL DESTROY...EVERYTHING, HA HA HA HA HA HAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!"**

Tidus charges right at Sora, trying to run him through with his Brotherhood, but Sora successfully dodges it. The townspeople who were watching started to barricade inside buildings to keep themselves from getting killed.

Tidus lept into the air and prepares to chop Sora in two, so Sora jumped out of the way, but to his surprise, out of Tidus's blade, came a burst of water! The water blew Sora into the air, giving the rage filled Blitzball player the chance to attack. Tidus jumps into the air and kicks Sora, he then leaps away and sends a large barrage of energy orbs at Sora. The orbs make contact with Sora and as he saw the orbs come at him, he blocked them, only for the orbs to explode, blasting Sora into the ground!

Tidus walks towards the small crater Sora was in and pulls him by the collar and said, "While you wasted your time protecting 'Toto' and the 'Tin Man'..." Tidus then threw Sora a few inches away and continued, "I took my time and learned some new tricks!"

Sora coughed out blood and struggled to stand, "...that move..." Tidus explained, "Just one of my new tricks, I call it the Energy Rain. I summon all the water from my blade and convert it into heated water, the water becomes hotter than a hot spring and burns most of the body. Though I am surprised, An explosion like that would have fried you entirely."

Sora stood up and said, "How did you learn that? Was it alchemy?" Tidus looks at his sword and said, "Sort of. What you saw came from this blade. There were etchings on the blade I couldn't understand, but after a few days of playing nanny to two fakes, I was given enough time to understand it's alchemic power! It's a bit ironic how a sword given to me by Wakka would end up giving me this much power!"

Sora then said, "Speaking of whom, did Wakka ever tell you the reason he gave that sword to you?" Tidus replied, "Nope, not a word about it. But why should you care? I'm digging your grave, and here you are, talking about the past!" Sora asks, "Well don't you want to know?"

"No."

As Tidus gave his answer, Sora noticed the Slave Crown's central gem on Tidus's head beginning to glow. Sora warns Tidus, "Tidus, I know you hate me, but this hatred is being forced on you, it's not your own. I know it's hard to believe, but a Slave Crown is on your head. It's controlling you, telling you things that you wouldn't normally think about. You have to take that thing off, if you really want to fight me, then you have to remove that headband and fight me like a man!"

Tidus laughed, "Nice try, but I'm not an idiot that takes the word of my enemies. I'M THE ALLSTAR THAT'LL REMOVE YOU FROM THE PLAYINGFEILD!" Tidus makes another attempt to hit Sora while he was recovering. "Time to slice..." Tidus said as he attacked Sora and knocked him in mid-air again, "And dice!" Tidus leaps into the air and attacks Sora 10 times.

"Your gone!" Tidus prepares another kick, but Sora unexpectedly catches his foot, "The thing about you Tidus, is that your always..." Sora tosses him to the ground, "...so..." as Tidus made a quick recovery, to his surprise, Sora's Avenger made contact with his back, knocking him into a building, "...predictable!"

Tidus staggers to get to his feet when Sora runs toward him and gives him a right hook! Sora then said, "Why won't you wake up? Your not the Tidus I knew while I grew up, you were an expert at sports, you would never let your anger get in the way, you were as confident as Riku! YOU WERE THE BEST ATHLETE I EVER-!" Tidus roared, "SHUT UP! JUST...SHUT...UUUUP! RAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAGH!"

Tidus's Slave Crown started glowing, and to Sora's surprise, it started to break. Sora cheered for his friend, "FIGHT IT TIDUS! YOUR THE BEST, YOU KNOW IT, I KNOW IT, EVERYONE KNOWS THE NAME TIDUS, THE STAR BLITZER!"

Tidus screamed in pain as the Slave Crown was struggling to control him and Sora's words were coning through to him. Tidus grasped his head and yelled out, "I...AM...GONNA DESTROY EVERYTHING!" Tidus looks at Sora said, "You caused this, so I'll end this!"

Tidus punches Sora, sending him flying across the air, and sending him in to a building! Before Sora could recover, Tidus kicks him into the air again, but then, Tidus headbutts him to the ground! Sora almost bounced back into the air because of the force put into that headbutt! Sora then thought, _He's...treating me like...a Blizball? Wait, I know this move!_

Tidus then punches Sora into a wall, As Sora bounced off the wall, Tidus lept into the air with Sora, spins around, and as he started slowing down, he gave a mighty kick to Sora's gut, hitting Sora downwards! The impact of Sora's crater-like landing shook Xenotime like an earth quake and sent a large mushroom cloud in the sky! After a few minutes, the smoke was cleared, and Tidus stood victorious before the crater with his opponent inside, defeated.

Sora was barely alive, unable to move, and as he was waiting for Tidus to finish him, he remembered the name of Tidus's new attack, _He...used...his father's attack...he...used...the...Jecht Shot._

Tidus walked towards Sora and said, "Payback...you traitor...for leaving us!" Sora's eyes were the only part of him that could move, and before him, he saw Tidus bring out the Brohterhood.

Tidus bent down and turned Sora over on his back to see his bleeding and beaten face. Tidus places his hand on Sora's shoulder and positions his Brotherhood to point at Sora's heart, "Game, set, match. You ready for this?" Sora whispered something, Tidus asked, "What was that?" Sora replied, "...gotcha!"

Sora quickly grabs Tidus by the back of his hair and slammed Tidus's forehead against his own! Sora's headbutt shattered the gem on the Slave Crown, thus freeing Tidus from the crown's control!

As Tidus fell down, unconscious, Sora slowly got up, his body, half beaten, and dripping blood. Despite his injuries, Sora was able to defeat the Blitzball Ace. Sora removed the band from Tidus's head, and gave him a Blueberry flavored Potion to help him recover.

**What are you doing? You have him right in your sights!**

Sora was surprised to hear a voice in his head, he asked, "Who's there?" The voice replied, **QUIET YOU BRAT! I'm the one who makes the orders!** Sora started to feel his head ach, "Wh-what's going on?" The voice yelled again, **WHAT DID I TELL YOU? I'm the ringmaster of this circus! So when I tell you to do a trick, then you do a trick! And when I tell you to kill someone, YOU KILL THEM AND SPREAD THEIR BLOOD ALL OVER TOWN!**

Sora yelled out loud, "Shut up, I'm not going to listen to some sicko!" The voice replied, **You don't have a choice kid! You will obey me, you will hate him for attacking you, and YOU WILL CRUSH HIS SKULL! Comprende? Now obey me you little shit! OBEY ME!**

Suddenly, Sora found his body moving by itself. His arm took the keychain that made the Avenger into the Keyblade, and snapped it off! "St-Stop it! What are you doing?" The voice answered, **I'm changing your sword back to normal, idiot!** As soon as the keychain was off, the Avenger changed back into a regular dagger.

Then, Sora's arm took the Avenger and with the other arm, it raised it in the air, ready to finish Tidus. The voice came back and said, **It's nice to get rid of that stupid thing, isn't it? Now the blade can truly penetrate the skin!** Sora shook his head, "Stop it, stop it, STOP IT PLEASE! He's my friend, I just saved his life!" The voice replied, **And now, your going to end it! And if you even try to fight my control, I'll just come over there myself and spill out your guts! Now kill him, destroy him, mutilate him, DESTROY EVERYTHING IN THIS CITY!**

"NO!"

But to Sora's surprise, the voice didn't reply, and even more surprising, Sora could control his body again. He looked around for any signs of a suspicious person, who might have been responsible for trying to make Sora kill the unconscious Tidus. But no one was around...

"So, that's what A Slave Crown does huh?"

Sora looked to the left, and standing there, was Russel, the fake Edward Elric. Russel continued speaking, "To think, it was able to control Tidus the whole time. And to make it even more outrageous, the whole thing was powered by this red stone. I saw your battle with Tidus and I've got to say, Nice finisher, kiddo. But when you were talking to yourself, I thought you were starting to crack, but as I came closer to you while you were about to kill Tidus, I saw a small piece of the red stone on your forehead. So I picked it off you before it was too late. But do I get a 'thank you'? No."

Sora rubbed his forehead to check for more pieces of the red stone, luckily, there was nothing there. Sora thought to himself, _I must have gotten a piece of the stone on me after I headbutted Tidus! So this was what Tidus was going through? Geez, who would have guessed that he was under the control of such a sick person?_

Sora then turned to Russel, "I heard someone talking to me in that shard. He sounded angry, happy, it was hard to tell, his voice was almost too maddening to be human. He had control over my body, and tried to get me to kill Tidus. If you hadn't been around-" Russel replies, "Hey, no problem. Tidus was my friend to, so it was the least I could do to help him, even though he was brainwashed for the whole time."

Sora then picked up the Keychain he snapped off while he was being controlled by the shard, and reattached it to his Avenger, after a large force of light appeared, the Avenger changed back into a Keyblade. As the light cleared, Russel asked, "What was that?" Sora replied, "A gift from...a good friend."

Sora turned towards Russel and said, "We haven't been introduced, so I'll go first, my name's Sora, Sora Hughes. I'm an adopted orphan trained in the arts of protection and swordsmanship. The military bought me to protect the 'real' Fullmetal Alchemist, Edward Elric. So who are you?" Russel replied, "In Xenotime, I'm Edward Elric, but since you and the shrimp are bound to know this eventually, the name's Russel Tringum. Pleasure to meet you."

Sora's left brow rose with interest, he remembered hearing the name, but he couldn't trace where he heard it before. Russel then said, "I'll tell you what, as a bonus, you can keep Tidus. He is your friend after all. And he's probably not the only friend form the orphanage your looking for, right?" Sora smiled and replied, "Right!"

Russel walked away and waved to Sora, "Knowing your little friend, I'd say he'll probably sneak back into the mansion. I'll see you guys until then, but don't say I didn't warn you."

As Russel walked away, Sora said to himself, "Russel, it was thanks to you that I still have a friend."

Sora then walked towards Tidus, who was still unconscious. He was about to pick him up, when Donald, Goofy, and Edward Elric came walking by, "Hey, what are you doing around here?" Sora turned around and smiled, "Nothing, I was just looking for a place to eat." but to Ed's surprise, Sora looked beaten, bruised, and he was slightly bleeding from his lip and arm, "WH-WHAT THE HELL HAPPENED TO YOU?"

Meanwhile, Alphonse was inside a Pharmacy, waiting in line to receive medicine. He was sent by Belsio to look for medicine for Elisa, and a cold compress for Ed, due to the bruise on his cheek. Al waited patiently in line, but he then noticed a lot of people who were almost as sick as Elisa, a few were coughing pretty badly, while a few others wore bandages across their faces.

Most of the people in the Pharmacy were talking about Al being a fake Elric again, and a hudlum for lying, and even those who said and believe he was the one who barged into Mugear's mansion. But Al was too gentle to let words like that get to him, so he didn't pay any attention. Just then, an old doctor came out with a broom and asked, "Hey you, what're you doin' here?"

Al tried to explain, "I-I just need to get some medicine." The old doctor then said, "Well, we don't have nothin' in here to keep you from tell'n lies! SO G'WON, GIT OUT!" The old doctor chased Al out of the Pharmacy like a cat, then she shut the door. Al stood back up and thought to himself, _Great, now how am I going to get that medicine for Elisa?_

"Uh, excuse me?"

Al turned to his left and saw a very familiar looking boy, Fletcher, the young child who was posing as Alphonse himself. Al then said, "Y-you!" Fletcher then said, "I can buy that medicine for you, if you want me to." Al asked, "Uh, thank you, but why would you-?" Fletcher looked at Al and smiled, "This is a way for me to make up for...me borrowing your identity."

End of Chapter 26

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**Next Chapter, Alphonse gets to know the reasons for the Fake Elric's actions while Edward's second break-in attempt reveals a dark secret...**

**Please Comment.  
**


	27. Chapter 27

**Last time, Sora was challenged by Tidus, one of his friends and fellow assassins from Y. O. U. T. H., who recently started to loath the young bodyguard as much as he loathed his father. The Slave Crown Tidus wore on his head was the reason for Tidus's anger and desire to kill, so Sora faced Tidus head-on to try and take it off. However, the Blitzball champ was harder to deal with than Sora though. After many attempts to talk some sense into his friend, Sora ended getting beaten by Tidus, who had just mastered his father's ultimate technique, The Jecht Shot!**

**Tidus was ready to deliver the final blow when suddenly, Sora found his chance and used his head to destroy the red jewel on the Slave Crown and knock Tidus out of his murderous rage! But just when things were starting to settle down, a malicious voice was heard, telling (and forcing) Sora to kill Tidus! But before he could, Sora was stopped by Russel, the fake Edward Elric, who picked off what was controlling Sora...a small piece of the red jewel from the Slave Crown. But before Sora could thank him, Russel left, saying that even though Tidus was his bodyguard, Sora could take him back. A few seconds later, Donald Duck, Goofy, and the real Edward Elric arrived, tracking down Russel, but after seeing Sora in bad shape, he blamed Russel and continued chasing him.  
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**Meanwhile, Alphonse was sent by Belsio to find medicine for his niece, Elisa. But when Al arrived at the pharmacy, he was kicked out for what happened last night, when he and Ed told the townspeople who they were, the Elric Bros. The townspeople believed the fakes to be the real Elrics, so they started shunning Ed and Al every time they saw them, calling them lairs.**

**But just when Al felt like he failed, hope came in the form of Fletcher, the fake Elric posing as Al, who wanted to help Alphonse obtain the medicine, as a way of apologizing for taking his identity...**

**Warning: Kingdom Hearts and Fullmetal Alchemist are both licensed by Square-Enix. The secondary licenses for both franchises are Disney (Kingdom Hearts), Aniplex, Bones Inc., and Funimation (Fullmetal Alchemist). **

**PS: There will be spoilers.**

* * *

Fullmetal Kingdom: The Fanfic

Chapter 27: Red Water

After he bought the medicine, Fletcher came outside and sat with Al. "Here you go." He said as he gave the medicine to Al. As Alphonse took the bag, he said, "Thank you...very much."

"I guess we both have brothers who let their temper get the best of them." Al said to Fletcher. Fletcher was a bit confused though, unlike Edward, Alphonse was calm and polite, he never even yelled at him. So Fletcher had to ask, "Aren't you mad at us?" Al looked at Fletcher and replied, "I figured you'd have your reasons." Fletcher apologized, "I'm sorry. For us to work with Mugear, we had to have some credibility. The only way my brother could act as a State Alchemist was to claim that he was the famous Edward Elric."

Al asked, "You wanted the Philosopher Stone that much?" Fletcher looked down and said, "My father, he devoted his entire life to the stone." Al then said, "So, you're father was an alchemist to?" Fletcher nodded, "Mmm hmm, but then one day, he was suddenly gone. So now for the love of our father, my brother insisted on finishing his research (sniff-sniff)." Al noticed how Fletcher was crying, so he said, "That's the opposite of my family. Our father was also an alchemist...but my brother hates him for it. He was obsessed with the science, and our mother suffered because of it, especially when he left her...and us. On our journeys, my brother and I have met allot of people who suffered because of alchemy to."

Alphonse looked at Fletcher and said to him, "Listen, if your brother is doing something you know is wrong, then please, just be brave and stop him. It's tough, I know, but if someone else intervenes, it will only hurt you're brother more."

Fletcher was shaken by Alphonse's words, knowing how true they were. His mind was spinning with Al's words of advice.

Meanwhile, Sora carried Tidus while he, Donald, and Goofy, were chasing Edward. Ed said, "That bastard went too far, sending some random assassin to kill one of my buddies! I'LL GRAB HIM BY THE HAIR AND TOSS HIM TO NEXT TUESDAY!" Sora tried to explain, "Ed, wait a minute! Russel didn't attack me, in fact, he saved my life, and Tidus was being contro-! ARE YOU EVEN LISTENING TO ME?"

But before Sora could catch up, Ed was gone. Sora found himself in a part of Xenotime where there were two paths to cross. Sora shook his head and yelled out, "Fine, go ahead and chase him for all I care! It's not my fault your gonna have your ass handed to you again by a fake!" After Sora was finished yelling, Donald and Goofy arrived.

Donald said, "(gasp-sigh, gasp-sigh) What the heck is you're deal? We can't waist time yelling at that little tick! We have to finish up here and get back to finding the president!" Sora looked at the two and asked, "You mean you guys didn't talk or ask anyone here about him?" Donald replied, "OF COURSE WE DIDN'T YA EMPTY-HEADED SCARECROW!"

Goofy explained, "Ya see Sora, we're from a secret location on the world. And if people knew we existed, well, the military would bring us in and (gulp)...**STUDY US**(lightning strikes)!"

Sora gave Goofy a look of disbelief and asked, "The Colonel said that he and his platoon would let you guys go, and they would keep your secret, and they gave you two a back-story about being chimeras made by the military itself, and you think asking a few questions about your leader will change anything? These people are probably talking about a strange little guy with big round ears right now!"

Donald shook his head, "I doubt that." Just then, two citizens passed by talking about something that caught Donald's hearing (since he has no ears)...

"A talking mouse saved your kids? Are you serious?"

"Yeah, he saved my kids from that crowd of monsters in Central City!"

Donald immediately chased after the two men, but then waved to Sora and Goofy, "DOUBTS FLEW AWAY! Good luck with whatever crap comes your way! Goofy, keep an eye on Sora for me!" And then, Jiminy popped out of Goofy's hat and said to him, "I'd better keep an eye on Donald. We'll meet back at Mr. Belsio's house, understand Goofy?" Goofy salutes Jiminy, "You can count on me sir!"

Jiminy bounced off Goofy's nose, opened his small umbrella, and safely floated down to the ground, and then ran after Donald. Sora then looked at Goofy and said, "Wow, Donald's really dedicated huh?" Goofy replied, "Why of coarse, those two were friends for a long time." Sora looked at Donald as he ran after the gossiping citizens and then, he remembered something, something that happened when he was a child...

"**Sora? SORA? WHERE ARE YOU?**"

When Sora and Riku were young children, Riku taught him how to sneak out of the Orphanage and back. But one day, they got separated from each other.

"**Sora! I'ts me, Come out already, please!**"

Sora once had a small case of Monophobia, which was a fear of being left alone. Sora had no idea where to find Riku, or where to go for help, if word goes out that he was separated from his friend, the scientists at the Orphanage would deem him unnecessary to keep around, and they would have to throw him on the streets.

However, Riku was different, he wouldn't give up until he found Sora and brought him back. Almost the entire day passed, and Riku was still searching.

"**Mam, have you seen my friend? He's got the same hair color as you and he's this small.**"

"**Hmm, I believe he went to the beach.**"

Riku went off like a shot to see if the woman's words were true, and to his relief, there, sitting on the sand, was Sora, staring into the cloudy sunset reflecting the sea. Riku came to Sora and asked why he was sitting near the beach, and Sora replied...

"**I was waiting for you. The beach was very peaceful, and allot of people come here to play, so I thought that if I stayed here, you would find me.**"

"**OK, just...don't scare me like that again.**"

Back in the current time, Sora said to Goofy, "I have a friend like that to. He's out there somewhere Goofy, and just like Donald, I have to keep looking." Goofy smiled and patted Sora on the back, "A friend in need is a friend indeed. Sora, you just keep on searching, and I know that someday, you will find Riku. Yep, I just know you will."

"Sora? Goofy? What's going on?"

Sora and Goofy turned around and saw Alphonse and Fletcher. Al asked Sora, "Why are you carrying Tidus?" Sora then asked Al, "And why are you with one of the fake Elrics?" Al replied, "He helped me buy medicine for Elisa. Alright, now answer my question." Sora explained, "I broke the Slave Crown on Tidus's forehead. He's unconscious, but he'll be fine."

"What's a Slave Crown?" Fletcher asked, Sora placed Tidus on a bench and explained, "A headband with the unique ability to control someone's thoughts and apparently, anger issues. You didn't notice?" Fletcher shook his head, "No, I haven't. It must have been hidden underneath his hair."

Sora then said, "Well, either way, I'm just glad I have my friend back." He then looked at AL and asked, "By the way, I thought I should keep this to myself but, well, have you noticed how many people in Xenotime were sick?"

Al replied, "It's strange, but I've seen people in the Pharmacy that were just as sick as Elisa." Sora was confused, "You mean the little girl that came to Belsio's pad? She's sick?" Al nodded, "Mm hm, just like the sick townspeople, Elisa had a serious coughing problem."

As the two were talking, unbeknownst to them, Fletcher's face was filled with sorrow and regret. Goofy noticed Fletcher's mood and asked, "Are you OK little boy?" Fletcher replied, "Y-yes, I'm fine. Wait, your one of those chimeras that were with the real Elrics. It's strange, I've never seen a chimera that looked so...nice." Goofy felt nervous, knowing that he shouldn't give his secret away, so he said in response, "W-well, some chimeras can be harsh, you know?"

Just then, Fletcher noticed Russel passing by. Fletcher then shook Goofy's hand and said, "It was nice to meet you, uh..." Goofy smiled and said, "The name's Goofy, (ahyuk) it's been nice meeting you to." Sora then introduced himself, "Likewise, my name is Sora." Russel waved at Fletcher, letting him know that it was time to go.

Fletcher ran to his brother, but Al asked, "W-wait, what's your real name?" the boy smiled at Al and replied, "...it's Fletcher!"

After Fletcher went with Russel back to the mansion, Al, Sora, and Goofy returned to Belsio's house to give Elisa the medicine and give Tidus a place to recover his strength and his senses. In the meantime, they waited for Edward and Donald to return. It took until sunset for Donald to return with Jiminy. Donald reported that the talking mouse was indeed President Mickey, leading him to believe that Mickey is probably somewhere in Central City. When Donald was finished celebrating, Ed bursts though the door, telling Alphonse that they were going to break into the mansion again...

At that night, Ed, Al, and Sora went back to the mansion to find another way in. Ed checks on the guards, who were still outside keeping a watch out for more trespassers. Ed looks back at his two accomplices and says, "Alright, the coast is clear. Tonight, we're going to try 'Operation: Molehole'!" Sora asked, "Molehole? Wait, don't tell me, your gonna dig under the house until we reach the inside of the house, right?" Ed shows a sinister grin at Sora and replied, "Oh hell yeah. Now quit your complaining and step back!"

Ed then transmuted a large hole in the ground for them to sneak under the mansion. He, Sora, and Al then stepped into the hole and started crawling through, and when they came to a dead end, Ed would just transmute another path through the hole.

It took a couple of minutes until Ed came to a stop and said, "By my calculations, we should be under the center of the mansion now." Al then asked, "Are you sure?" Ed replied, "No, but we gotta come out somewhere." Ed then transmuted the hole's path to face upwards, where a strange purple fog was shown. Ed smiled and said to Sora and Al, "We're in!"

The trio climb up the hole and as they came out, they found themselves in what appeared to be a sewer line, but the area was filled with red mist, and the water rushing through the stream was entirely red.

"W-what is this? Blood?" Al asked, Sora replied, "I don't know, but it's definitely not food colored water, it's actually glowing! I wonder..." Sora then reached out at the water to inspect it, but Ed stopped him by grabbing his shoulder and shoving him to the wall, "DON'T TOUCH IT!"

Ed then took a good look at the water and said, "I think this is the chemical they used to make the Red Stone." Al asked, "What red stone?" Ed explained, "I remember reading something about this at the library in Central. It's a theoretical solid pumped full of alchemic catalysts. You put this refined red water on a few metro tons of pressure, until it turns to stone." Sora asked, "A stone...you mean like a Philosopher Stone?" Ed replied, "No, more like a cheap imitation. An imitation like that ring in Cornello's hand."

Ed then realized something, "I think...I may have heard of some guy named Nash or something who's been researching the red stone. But in the end, his research never panned out." Sora asked, "So, what happened to Nash's research-(cough)?" Just then, Sora started to feel strange, his head felt wobbly, and he could barely breath, "Wha-(cough-cough), what's...this feeling? I c-can't...breath..." As Sora started to fall, Al caught him and asked, "Sora? Sora, what's wrong? Brother, there's something wrong with Sora! He's coughing like Elisa! He might be-!"

"(cough-cough)!" To Al's surprise, Ed was starting to feel the same as Sora! Ed said to Al, "I-I'm having...some trouble breathing...A-Al?" Al caught Ed as well, "BROTHER? SORA? WHAT'S HAPPENING?"

"Alphonse, this way!"

Al noticed a doorway open, Al stood up and asked, "Who's there?" the voice replied, "It's me! Come on, HURRY!" Alphonse recognized the voice, "Fletcher!"

A few minutes later, Sora and Edward woke up and looked around them, they noticed that they were in a large room with viles, notes, and red plants, they realized that they were in a laboratory. Al, who was watching over him, noticed his brother opening his eyes, "Brother? Fletcher, the Antidote worked, he's waking up!" Fletcher asked, "That's good to know, but what about Sora?" Sora rubbed his eyes and replied, "I-I'm OK, but what came over me?"

Fletcher explained, "It was the poisonous fumes in that room you were in. You and Mr. Elric breathed in a large amount, so I had to use two Antidotes for each of you to remove the poison. It was lucky Alphonse was empty, otherwise he wouldn't have had the strength to carry you two out."

Sora stood up and said, "Thank you Fletcher. You really saved the day back there and...well, I couldn't be more thankful." Al then said, "He's right Fletcher, thank you." Fletcher rubbed his head in embarrassment and said, "Uh, i-it was nothing."

Then Ed started to regain consciousness and asked, "A-Al? Sora? Where...where am I...AND WHAT THE HELL IS HE DOING HERE?" Fletcher stepped back in surprise, "(gulp) I-I'm sorry!" Ed then felt confused, "Wait, YOU'RE sorry? What are you so sorry about, what did you do?" Al then said, "No Fletcher, it's what you didn't do, isn't it?"

Sora and Edward looked at Alphonse when he spoke those words with faces filled with confusion. Al continued, "If you know something is wrong, then tell us. I get the feeling you don't like what's been going on around here." Fletcher took a deep breath and explained, "T-that red water you saw, it's a toxic substance...that's been polluting the town. But it's...it's the vital ingredient for creating a red stone!"

End of Chapter 27

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**Next Chapter, Fletcher confronts his older brother about their research while Belsio tells Sora and the Elrics about an old friend...**

**Please Comment.**


	28. Chapter 28

**Last time, Alphonse befriended the young boy who pretended to be him, Fletcher, who also had a father with alchemic talents. The two boys crossed paths with a battle-damaged Sora, who was carrying Tidus, who was under the control of the Slave Crown until Sora destroyed it and released asked about the Slave Crown, Fletcher didn't seem to know how it ended up on Tidus. **

**That night, Edward hatched another plan to sneak into Mugear's Mansion with Sora and Al by his side. But when Ed and the others dug underground, none of them would have expected the surprise that awaited them, they found their way to a large sewer line that was filled with Red Water, a substance used for creating an imitation of the real Philosopher Stone. Ed remembered hearing about the water from a book written by a man named Nash, but before they could get to the bottom of the mystery, Sora and Ed were victimized by the poisonous fumes in the sewer. **

**Due to having no body, Al was immune to the poisonous toxin, but he had no way of helping his brother and the Keyblade Master, but before Al lost hope, Fletcher arrived and helped Al save their lives. The two heroes were brought into a lab, where Fletcher made an Antidote that removed the poison from Sora and Edward's bodies. As the two woke up, Fletcher decided to tell them and Al the truth of what he and his brother, Russel were secretly working on...**

**Warning: Kingdom Hearts and Fullmetal Alchemist are both licensed by Square-Enix. The secondary licenses for both franchises are Disney (Kingdom Hearts), Aniplex, Bones Inc., and Funimation (Fullmetal Alchemist). **

**PS: There will be spoilers.**

* * *

Fullmetal Kingdom: The Fanfic

Chapter 28: Tringum's Legacy

"That red water you saw, it's a toxic substance...that's been polluting the town. But it's...it's the vital ingredient for creating a Red Stone." After hearing Fletcher's explanation, Al asked, "Is that why the people in Xenotime have been coughing so badly?" Fletcher then broke into tears, "I-I'm...so sorry! (sniff-sniff)" Ed then stood up and said, "Alright, well first things first, Sora, Al, we've gotta demolish this lab!" Suddenly, a voice was heard, "I can't let you do that."

Sora and the Elric Brothers then turn around and see Russel in the room, with a Red Stone in his hand! Russel continued talking, "After all the work we put into it, we finally created a Red Stone!" Sora then said, "Well, we're screwed." Ed looked at Sora and yelled, "CAN IT BAGGY-ASS!" Sora retaliated, "What? He kicked your ass with one last time!" Ed snapped again, "That was just a fluke! I can kick this jerk to next Saturday if I wanted to!" Sora shook his head, "Pff, that coming from the gnome."

"WHO-YA-CALLIN-A-TINY-INSIGNIFICANT-SHORTY-WITH-A-HAT-SIZE-COMPLEX?"

Russel interrupted, "Sorry to intrude on the bonding, but my father gave everything he had in pursuit of this stone, 'Mr. Elric'! If you think I'm going to give up now, then you're quite mistaken." Ed raised an eyebrow in amusement, "So, you care that much for a lame piece of costume jewelry?" Irritated by Edward's mockery, Russel used the power of the Red Stone to transmute a nearby lamp into a Black Sword. Ed smiled and said, "A fake sword from a fake stone? I think I can top that!" Ed then transmuted his Automail arm into a blade and charged at Russel!

The young man guards using the black sword, but to his surprise, the blade started cracking when Ed's blade was pushed further. Ed then said, "Heh, mine's the genuine article!" Russel then knocked Ed back with a kick and threw his broken sword aside. However, the fake Elric wasn't done with Ed, he placed his hand on an iron doorway and used alchemy to transmute a large hose!

Sora gave Russel a confused look, "What's with the hose?" Russel replied, "For a hired assassin, your not very bright, are you? This hose can bring out Red Water, straight from the tap!" Sora was surprised to hear Russel's words, "The Red Water from that sewer line we were in! If Ed gets shot by another dose of that-!" Russel interrupted, "That's right! Then he's a gonner! The mist was one thing to poison you, but a full dose of the chemical can do more than make you lose your consciousness!"

Sora yelled to Ed, "Alright, time to tag out Ed, I'll deal with him!" Ed replied, "The hell you will, this joker's been using my name!" Sora said in response, "Think Ed, I'm your bodyguard for a reason, I can take the damage for you, YOU DON'T HAVE TO WASTE YOUR LIFE!" Ed smiled and replied, "It's only a waste if I die for nothing! So come on smart-ass, LET IT RAIN!" Ed then quickly transmuted his arm-blade into an umbrella!

Russel then lets loose the Red Water from the hose and tries to use it on Ed, but Ed's umbrella covers his body! "Ed, this is crazy!" Al said, "You're brother's right! Just go and you can live!" Russel said to Ed. But as he kept the umbrella in the way of the hose, Ed yelled out, "NEVER! I'M NOT LOOSING TO A KID WHO JUST WANTS TO BE...**JUST LIKE DADDY!**" Enraged, Russel aimed the hose at Ed's feet, causing Edward to loose his balance! But then, Ed was pushed away from the hose's poisonous water! Ed got up quickly to see who pushed him, and to his surprise, Sora was the one drenched in Red Water.

"SORA!" Ed, Al, and Fletcher came to Sora's side. Ed turned Sora over to see his condition, and was startled to see Sora's eye's blank and his skin bathed in red toxic water. Russel was just as frightened when he saw Sora's condition. Ed slowly stood up and roared out in anger, "YOU BASTARD!" Russel gulped and said, "I-I didn't want this to-" Ed interrupted, "SHUT-UP, YOU MURDERER!"

"(cough-cough) I'm n-not dead yet you know!" Ed turned around and saw Sora covering his mouth while coughing. Fletcher said, "He's been exposed to allot of poison! Alphonse, help me make an Antidote!" As Al went with Fletcher to a desk to work on the Antidote, Ed took Sora's hand and said, "Y-you scared the hell out of me! I thought you were dead!" Sora shook his head and said, "(cough) I-idiot! I'm...your bodyguard! My job...is to protect you and Alphonse! Whether I live or die...isn't important, what matters is...your still alive...and I completed my...my mission!"

"Your mission? You think dying for me is your mission?" Sora smiled, "Hey...it's...what we were trained for-(cough-cough)." Fletcher then came to Sora with Al by his side, "You're going to be OK Sora! Just drink this down!" As Sora was given the Antidote, Ed said to him, "Listen, I might not know how you were raised, but killing yourself isn't the best way to solve my problems! When the problem involves me, then I have to deal with it! You can't just jump in and be the hero!"

"It's...what I was raised for...(cough)"

Sora then fainted, leaving Ed to question Sora's sanity, "Why? Why are you so determined to protect me?" Fletcher sighed and said, "He's going to be fine, I gave him enough to heal up at around the day after tomorrow. Just give him plenty of time to rest and the Antidote should cure him in no time." Al nodded, "Thank you Fletcher."

"Fletcher, what are you doing? They'll try and shut us down!" Russel said to Fletcher. But Fletcher turned at his brother and said, "Well I hope they do!" Russel staggered after hearing Fletcher. The young alchemist continued, "...brother, the reason dad created the Red Stone was to bring happiness to others, but what we've been doing here, it's actually making people suffer, isn't it?"

Russel tried to reply, but in a sense, he knew his brother was telling the truth. Fletcher looked at Sora and said to Russel, "Don't you see the cost of forging that stone? It's THIS, what Sora's going through right now is what most of Xenotime is suffering from! It doesn't matter who gets the credit anymore! Because this isn't...because dad would be ashamed if he saw what we did!" Russel, after hearing Fletcher's words, dropped the hose, and looked at his little brother with a face filled with regret and sorrow...

But suddenly, the alarm went off! As the alarm rang, the guards of the mansion ran to the laboratory doors and knocked on the doors, "Mr. Elric, is everything alright?" Russel replied, "Y-yeah, I'm fine! Damn, I told them not to bother me in here..." Ed laughed and said, "Maybe they don't really trust you. Though I can't see why except for, you know, YOU BOTCHING OUR NAMES AND LYING ABOUT WHO YOU ARE!"

Al picked Sora up and said, "Brother, we have to get out now!" But then, Al heard something...it was chalk. Fletcher was using chalk to draw a transmutation! Russel looked at Fletcher and asked, "Wh- Fletcher, what are you doing?" Fletcher didn't answer, instead, he pulled one of the experimental plants over and transmuted it into a large tree to block the door.

Fletcher then looked at the Elrics and said, "RUN FOR IT, HURRY! YOU HAVE TO GET SORA TO A SAFE PLACE TO RECUPERATE! If they catch you, we'll all be in trouble, so please, get out of here! I promise I'll explain everything later!" Ed nodded and said to Al, "Alright, let's go!" With Sora in his hands, Al followed Ed as he jumped through a window and made their escape! Russel watched as the three intruders disappeared into the night, and then, he looked at Fletcher, who then said, "...you could blame me if you want brother."

A few minutes later...

Russel and Fletcher were still in the lab, sitting on the ground as the guards kept trying to break through the tree. Russel looked at Fletcher and said, "You promised me you would never experiment with alchemy Fletcher. We both know dad didn't want you doing it." Before Fletcher could reply, the guards finally broke through the tree with guns in their arms, and as they looked around for anything that might have been stolen, Mugear came into the lab while carrying a medium sized suitcase.

"My lab, what have they done to my lab?" As Mugear pondered, Russel approached him, "Mr. Mugear..." Mugear then looked at Russel, "Huh? Oh, I'm glad to see your'e alright. The stone, has it been damaged?" Russel gave Mugear the Red Stone, "No need to worry, it's intact." Mugear examined the Red Stone with fascination, "Hmm, it's a decent size, I commend you for getting this far, but I'm afraid our time table has been pushed up. I need you to move on to the Contingency Plan!" Russel's eyes widened, "But sir, we made real progress, we don't need to resort to that-!" Before he could continue, Russel was interrupted by Mugear, "Are you questioning the only man who has given you a second chance?" Russel replied, "...no, no sir."

Mugear then grabbed the suitcase and started to open it, "...there was once another alchemist who couldn't do what I asked. He left here with his tail between his legs and he was never heard from again." Mugear then took out a strange device, filled with red water. The old man then dropped the Red Stone into the machine, and it started to glow, Russel asked, "Wh-what are you doing?" Mugear replied, "Using the latest technology of coarse! It's powered by both the Red Water and the Red Stones, I call it the Red Rain!" Mugear stared at his weapon with a satisfied look, and then aimed it at Russel and Fletcher. Mugear smiled, "With this machine, even a non-alchemist such as myself...**HAS OPTIONS**!"

And then, red electricity came out of the Red Rain and created tree roots from the ground, tying up the two brothers! Russel demanded an answer, "Why are you doing this?" Mugear replied, "Because I can! You honestly thought I was a fool didn't you? That I didn't know that the real Edward Elric has an Automail Arm! That his bodyguard was sold form a secret orphanage and not found on the streets! That the younger brother is a giant that hides inside a large suit of armor. **That you two are really the sons of Nash Tringum!**"

Meanwhile, Sora and the Elrics returned to Belsio's house while everyone was asleep, including Tidus. As Al carried him, Sora looked at him and said, "You can put me down now, I'm alright." Al nodded and placed Sora on the floor. As the young bodyguard stood up, he rubbed his eyes and looked at the Elrics, "Well, at least my vision's working again."

Ed then said to Sora, "You're not alright yet, you still need to recuperate. That Antidote should be done clearing the poison from your body in two days. So go to sleep and tomorrow, leave the dangerous stuff to me and Al." Sora shook his head, "I can't do that Edward. By the Colonel's order, I'm supposed to protect you from deadly situations, and that's what I'm going to do. Besides, I might find out where Riku and the others are." Ed poked Sora and said, "Not if your dead, Bush-Brain!"

"Allot of excitement at the mansion, huh boys?"

The three turned toward a chair in the dining room, and sitting in that chair, was Belsio, drinking some coffee. "Eh, heh heh heh, you don't say." Ed said while rubbing his head. Belsio gave a sharp glare at the boys and said, "Second night in a row. Not much hope for you, is there?"

Just then, Sora, Ed, and Al heard some small coughs coming from one of the rooms. Al recognized the coughing, "Is Elisa still here?" Belsio replied, "Her father's going to be furious, but she wanted to stay here. And like you three, she won't listen to reason, I had no choice with her coughing like that, so I put her to bed. So what about you guys? You bring in some beat-up kid, and now your all back after another goose chase in the mansion." Ed then said to Belsio, "It's a bit more...complicated than you'd like to believe..."

As Ed explained what happened at the mansion, Belsio stared in disbelief over the fact that the so called Elrics were responsible for creating the Red Water, the source of all the people's sickness. When Ed finished, he said, "Pff, those idiots can create as many stones as they want, they'll never come close to making the Philosopher Stone. It's a complete waste of time." Al looked at Ed and said, "The elder one, he said that his father put everything he had in making the Red Stone." Ed replied, "Yeah, yeah, but it's probably another lie." then Belsio said, "Unless...maybe they're the sons of Nash Tringum."

The trio's eyes widened when they heard the name, Sora then said, "Nash...wait, Ed, isn't that the guy who had research on the Red Stone?" Ed nodded, "Yeah, now I remember, Nash Tringum was his full name! So those two fakers...were his kids?" Belsio replied, "The two of you could be right. Nash had children and the credit for the Red Stone. He was born in Xenotime, just like me, he only moved to Central to put his research of the Red Water to use. He was gone for years, but then one day...he just showed up again, out of the blue."

Sora then noticed the tone in Belsio's voice, "Sir, the way you talk about Nash, it almost sounds like the two of you were friends." Belsio smiled, "Yep, since childhood. And even when he returned, he greeted me with a smile. But there was something else about him, when he came back, he almost looked like he was ready to jump off a bridge. It turned out his research was to blame, so because of it, he left behind everything that mattered to him. He never told me what happened in Central, he was a wet wounded animal, ready to be pounced on...and the town's biggest land baron, Mugear, makes his fortune spilling blood..."

Sora then said, "So there is a connection between Mugear and the kids after all. He needed them to complete their father's work on the Red Stones!" Al then asked, "But where is Mr. Tringum?" Belsio replied, "...ultimately, Nash gave in, secluding himself in Mugear's mine to resume his research. And as the land baron promised, the town was once again lit by gold. The streets of Xenotime were rich with gold, and life returned to the people...but at the same time, a mysterious plague began to spread."

Ed was startled, "A plague?" Belsio continued, "...we had all the money we could afford, but they couldn't buy a cure. Many...many babies succumbed to the disease as soon as they were born." Ed looked at the door to the room Elisa was sleeping in and then realized, "...Elisa...was born then?" Belsio nodded, "When she was a baby, an alchemic doctor named Marcoh passed through town and took a look at her. He said that she came into contact with Red Water, and to stop her sickness, he used some strange tools that lit up the room."

Ed jumped from his seat, "It glowed?" Belsio looked at Ed, "Yes." Al then said, "The doctor's tools, could they be the real thing?" Belsio said, "Well, whatever it was, we have that treatment to thank for Elisa's survival. I hounded Nash all about the Red Water, and he told me that it was indeed his fault. So after he admitted what he did, he took it on himself to end it. And that was the last time anyone's ever saw him. Soon after, the gold dried up and the town was once again on the decline. If those are indeed Nash's boys, they must have come this way in search of their father...or his work."

Sora clenched his fist, "All those children...how can anyone go through all that, and still keep poisoning people? If Nashs's research is used again...what's to stop another sickness from spreading?" Ed looked at Sora and replied, "Us of coarse, duh!"

End of Chapter 28

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**Next Chapter, Sora tries to recover form the poison while the Elrics confront Mugear about the research on the Red Water...**

**Please Comment.**


	29. Chapter 29

**Last time, Fletcher revealed the truth about the Red Water, it was a necessary ingredient for creating a Philosopher Stone, but it was also the reason everyone was suffering from a strange sickness. Edward decided that the best way to stop the disease was to destroy the lab that produced the Red Water, but Russel came and tried to stop him. When his attempts at stopping the Fullmetal Alchemist became feudal, Russel resorted to spraying Ed with the Red Water, which poisoned him and Sora earlier. However, Sora got in the way and took a heavy dose of poison. As Fletcher gave Sora an antidote, he told his brother that what they were doing was wrong and their father would be ashamed.**

**After Sora was given the medicine, the Elrics took him and escaped the mansion. Then Mugear arrived to check on the progress of Russle and Fletcher's experiments. Russel presented a fresh Red Stone to Mugear, but to his surprise, Mugear used the Red Stone as ammo for a new weapon, the Red Rain, and captured Russel and Fletcher. Mugear explained that he just found out who they really were, they were the sons of Nash Tringum, an alchemist that used to work for him.**

**Meanwhile, Ed, Al, and Sora returned to Belsio's house, where the lemon farmer was waiting to hear an explanation. After the boys told him about her Red Water, Belsio said that the reason the two imposters could make pure Red Water was probably because they inherited the gift from their father, Nash Tringum, an old friend of Belsio's. While Nash was working for Mugear, a strange sickness that infected many babies in Xenotime started to spread. Hope seemed out of reach, but one day, a man named Marcoh approached Elisa when she was a baby and cured her with a strange Red Light. That is the reason that Elisa was coughing to this day.**

**So to stop history from repeating itself, Sora and the Elric Brothers decided to investigate further...**

**Warning: Kingdom Hearts and Fullmetal Alchemist are both licensed by Square-Enix. The secondary licenses for both franchises are Disney (Kingdom Hearts), Aniplex, Bones Inc., and Funimation (Fullmetal Alchemist). **

**PS: There will be spoilers.**

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Fullmetal Kingdom: The Fanfic

Chapter 29: When it Rains...

That night, inside the mansion, Mugear entered a cellar, where his goons were watching over the Tringum Brothers, Russel and Fletcher. Mugear furiously slammed his fist on their cell door and said, "You're useless, both of you! If you had just agreed to move on to Phase Two with the Contingency Plan, you wouldn't have ended up here!"

Fletcher looked at his brother with curiosity and asked, "Brother, what is Phase Two?" Russel couldn't answer, so Mugear sneered, "Hmph, it's really hard to tell a lad so young, isn't it? Well, little boy, for all your hard work, I might as well tell you...You just introduce the Red Water to the drinking supply of pregnant women! And when the process is done, you extract it, then transmute the finished ingredient into a stone...(chuckles) IT LETS MOTHER NATURE DO ALL THE WORK! It's really a shame though, you've obviously inherited your father's cowardice."

Mugear turned around and started walking up the stairs back to the lab when Russel asked, "Wait Mugear! I need to know something, did my father...use that method on someone?" Mugear looked back at Russel and replied, "No, at the last minute, he had a crisis of morality and left. If only he had gone through with it, it would have saved his wretched life." Russel was shocked, "Y-you liar! You said he left here alive!" Mugear made a cruel smiled and left...

As the sun rose, Mugear, while wearing his gas mask, was inside the chamber with the Red Water Spring, meeting with Lust again. Mugear said to Lust, "I've taken care of everything, now all we have to do is convince the real Elric Brothers to put our plan into motion." Lust however looked away and said, "You make it sound so easy, but those boys are more complex than you think." Mugear then said with confidence, "I can handle a couple of children! Please, put a little trust in me, we're close to the milk and honey, I can feel it!" Lust glared at him and replied, "It's you're gamble, go ahead...one way or the other, things will work out."

It was morning, and Lust made her way to the train to Lior, while back at Belsio's house, one of Mugear's henchman came to the door. When Belsio opened the door, the henchman told him that Mugear was looking for the REAL Elric Brothers. The Elrics met with the henchman and agreed to meet with him. And as they left, Sora was ordered by Ed to stay at Belsio's house until the Antidote was finished curing him.

At the mansion, the Elrics were greeted by the land baron himself, "Hello my friends! You two must be...lets see...automail arm, check...iron body, check...diminutive size? (Ed:WHAWAZZATT?) Ah, the Elric Brothers! A pleasure to meet you, I am Charles T. Mugear, at your service!"

When the Elrics were guided to the lab, Mugear said to them, "I'm so sorry those imposters stole you're identities, I was completely fooled by them, we all were I'm ashamed to say!The last thing I want to do is ad insult to injury, I'm sure you have work to do, but since the two of you are such gifted alchemists, there's a matter I'd like you're help with..."

Ed looked at Mugear and said, "Something with Red Water by any chance?" Mugear smiled, "Oh, so you have heard about it! That's a relief, then I don't have to explain. The truth about the matter is I've done my research as well. And I happened to hear some rumors that you're very interested in the Philosopher Stone."

Mugear then pulled out a small Red Stone and shows it to Edward, "Whaddya think Edward? It's the product of crystallized Red Water, a small prototype of the prize that you're after." Ed then asked, "So what do I do with that?" Mugear replied, "First of all, to get what we need to save Xenotime, we use this and more to make the REAL stone, and then revitalize the gold mine, then this town can get back on it's feet again!"

Ed then said to Mugear, "Sounds like a good cause. So, where are the fakes?" Mugear answered, "You mean the imposters? They've been taken care of Mr. Elric, they're in the cellar." Ed then clapped his hands and used alchemy to suddenly destroy the prototype Red Stone. Mugear was startled by the action, but Ed said, "Don't worry about it. But before we talk about the unfinished product, first we execute those prisoners. We State Alchemists aren't the type to forgive liars."

Mugear then asked, "Oh, then you mean you've excepted my request for assistance?" Ed replied, "I told you, lets take care of those kids first! It's been a good while since I've killed someone, I kinda miss it...**HEY, YOU WANNA WATCH?**" Mugear trembled and shook his head, "(gulp) Uh, no thanks, I'll let you take care of it." Al looked at Ed and the two gave an amused look at each other...

Back at Belsio's house, inside of a small room, Sora was still in bed, resting until the sickness was gone. Sora thought to himself, _It's quiet...and peaceful. I haven't had such a peaceful day in my life. It feels nice...but...I can't just sit here and wait for the Elrics to come back! The colonel gave me a job to do, if those two are exposed to Red Water like me...no, no, Ed said he and Al would handle it, and besides, they're tougher then they look. This is one job I know they can handle, besides, I have to stay here and keep an eye on Tidus until he wakes up, and Donald and Goofy, so they won't split on me._

"**Hey there, you got a zit on you're forehead.**"

"WHA?" Sora tried to get the zit off, but to his surprise, there wasn't a zit there. "Just kidding! But seriously, you bought that? Even a 10 year old wouldn't fall for that! And you, you're like, 14? I wonder, do you get dumber when you age? I'd hate to know that the one who released me would be nothing more than a dunce."

Sora was confused, "Wait, released you? I don't even know you!" The voice then said, "Well, you would if you were about 82 or 79 years old. But I can tell you're thoughts are on something else right now...or SOMEONE else." Sora then realized the voice was talking about Edward, Sora took out his Avenger and asked, "What did you do to my friends?"

"Nothing...yet. It's complicated, but if I were you, I'd worry about the Golems and the power the Red Water can produce for them. In fact...I think there are some lurking inside that 'secret spring', waiting for some tiny fool to come near it. You wouldn't want your friends to suffer like you, right? Then you might want to get to Mugear's Mansion before it's to late."

As the voice stopped, Sora stood up and made his way to the door, he then thought to himself, _My body is still recovering, but I should be able to lend the Elrics a hand! Sorry Ed, I do trust you to handle it alone, but the Golems aren't natural enemies._ As Sora left the room, Crimson emerged from the wall with the most darkness and said, "Hmph...easier than I expected. **Now we can begin the 'test'!**"

Meanwhile, inside the cellar, the Elrics were breaking the cuffs on the Tringum Brothers wrists. When they were finished, Russel asked, "Aren't you going to chew us out for using your names?" Ed shook his head, "I've done enough of that. Besides, I want to know why the sons of Nash Tringum would want to continue making his Red Water." Fletcher and Russel were shocked that Edward now knows who they were related to.

Russel then replied, "...Because...it was his dream. As his son, it was my duty to see it through." Ed then asked, "So you honestly think this was what he wanted?" Russel couldn't answer, so Ed continued, "You do know what his research was doing to Xenotime, right? The poisonous toxin, the deaths of new born children, don't tell me you were still going to go though it!"

Ed then bent down to see Russel eye to eye, "You're father knew, that's why he abandoned the Red Water and the rest of his research, and disobeyed Mugear. And I can tell you right now, that no happiness can come from this. So stop following you're dad's old path! Make you're own path, live you're own life, and stop with the acting, and trying to be someone you're not!"

Back in the lab, Mugear smirked at the red dust that used to be the prototype in his hand, "...no matter, the stone those boys can fashion up for me will be even better-!"

"What boys? You mean us?"

Mugear then noticed Ed and Al coming out of the cellar door. Ed crossed his arms and asked, "By the way, I heard Nash Tringum worked with you on this plan as well, Is he still around?" Mugear shrugged and shook his head, "Nash? Oh, I'm sorry Ed, Nash's research wasn't making progress, so I had to let him go." Ed raised his eyebrow and said, "Really? It's funny, you don't seem to be the type of guy to let people walk away with you're secrets."

Mugear gave an annoyed look at Ed and said, "I'm afraid I missed the implication." Ed replied, "I'm SAYING that I don't answer to murderers 'Charley'!"

Mugear was finally found out, as he stared in shock at Ed, his face turned into a sour and angered face, "Really? ...**IN THAT CASE YOU WON'T BE LEAVING HERE ALIVE**!" He quickly reached behind him to grab his weapon, the Red Rain! Mugear then pointed it at the Elrics, "You're no loss, there are plenty of fish in the sea that I could use to make more of THESE!" Mugear then pulls out another Red Stone from his pocket.

Ed and Al staggered, "He-he has another?" Mugear smiled as he dropped the stone into the Red Rain, " It may not be as potent as that other one..." And to the Elric's surprise, the Red Rain changed into the barrel of a small cannon, "...**BUT IT'LL DO**!"

(BLAM!)

As the cannon-fire came at them, The Elrics jumped out of the way. Ed then gloated, "Is that all you got, 'Charley'?" But to Ed's surprise, it wasn't, as Mugear pulled more Red Stones from his pocket...a handfull! "(gulp) Dumb question!" Ed said as he watched Mugear pour the stones into the Red Rain, "Ha Ha HAAA, what's the matter, didn't think I had the stones?" And then, the cannon barrel on Mugear's machine changed into ten more barrels!

As Mugear pulled the trigger, Ed and Al ran straight for one of the pillars in the lab to hide behind! Then, as soon as the ammo was gone, Mugear brought out more stones and filled the Red Rain with more ammo, "Heh heh, can't hide forever!" As more bullets were tearing the pillar to pieces, Ed said to Al, "I'd hate to say it but he's right! We need an out, FAST!"

Mugear kept shooting at the pillar the Elrics were hiding behind, but as he kept shooting, Sora kicked the door open! "Ed, the Golems are here-**GLEAGH**?" Sora said as he saw Mugear point his weapon at Sora, "The bodyguard!" Mugear quickly refiled the Red Rain and shot at Sora, who started to run like crazy! Sora then thought of an idea, "For an overweight sicko, you got a good aim!"

"Ignorant brat!" Mugear said as he kept trying to shoot at Sora! Ed then noticed that Sora was drawing Mugear's fire away, so Ed looked at Al and said, "This is our chance Al, PUSH!" The Elrics then began to push the nearly destroyed pillar they were hiding behind towards Mugear. Sora then lifted his Avenger and threw it, "Hey tubby, CATCH!"

The Avenger shockingly sliced through the Red Rain, leaving Mugear unarmed! "Grrr...I'm not done yet!" Mugear then took out a knife and thrusts it at Sora, who narrowly escapes it's cut! "You won't take me alive!" Mugear said as he walked towards the exit while pointed the knife at Sora, who said in response, "And apparently, 'tuns'o fun', neither will they." Mugear looked at the direction Sora was pointing, and to his surprise, the Elrics succeeded in pushing the pillar down, apparently crushing Mugear!

Ed then looked at Sora and asked, "You're still sick from the Red Water, so what the hell are you doing here?" Sora replied, "A voice told me that the Golems are somewhere around here, they are here inside this building, or at least...inside the location where this, secret spring, is being kept." Ed asked again, "You didn't answer my question! You're sick, so why are you here?" Sora got frustrated and replied, "I CAME TO HELP! Why are you so-?" Ed interrupted, "Because that poison was supposed to kill you if you didn't allow the medicine to work. You're just wasting whatever time you have left."

Sora smiled, "Hmph, it's only a waste if I die for nothing, right?" Ed staggered, surprised that Sora could use one of his speeches against him. Sora then smiled and swung his Keyblade around before landing it on his shoulder, he shows a proud face to Ed and said, "And besides, I never needed any permission to help you. Remember what happened in Lior? You surprised me with you're plan to show the townspeople Cornello's true face. But despite my predicament, I still helped you out in fighting him. I did my part, and because we worked together freely, we were able to stop Cornello from creating an empire of suckers."

Al then noticed something and whispered to Ed, "Brother, Sora's body...the red marks on his skin are...shrinking." Ed then noticed Sora's miraculous healing, "W-was the Antidote really that effective?" Sora then continued talking, "You're hard to get along with, but I know I can trust you to watch my back. But I want to know if you could trust ME, do you?" Ed replied, "...I do trust you, but Sora, aren't you worried about what might happen to you? You have the whole assassin's code down and all, but honestly, aren't you afraid of dying?"

"I am...but if I put my worries about me first, then I don't deserve to be called you're friend. I want to help people and save them, that even goes for my friends from the orphanage, and even...her." Ed and Al were disturbed by Sora's words, Ed asked, "'Her'? Who are you talking about?" Sora replied, "A girl...Namine...she was-!"

"Brother, look!" Al pointed at the ground, as he did, Sora and Ed saw a large hole with stairs that led to a large hallway underground! Sora then said to the Elrics, "It's a secret passage! But it's strange, I don't see Mugear's body!" Ed nodded and said to Sora and Al, "Come on guys, time for a chase!"

"Wait, you can't leave without these!" Russel said as he and Fletcher brought in gas masks. Fletcher then said to Sora and the Elrics, "There's allot of poisonous mist underground, so if you're going to stop Mugear and the source of the Red Water, then you need the gas masks!"

Russel then looked at Ed and said, "By the way Ed, thank you for saving us. We aren't going to follow our father's dream anymore." Ed smiled and took a gas mask, "Well, that's good to hear. Alright guys, LET'S CHASE DOWN THAT TUBBY PSYCHOPATH!"

Meanwhile, inside the spring chamber, Mugear was bringing out a cannon to use on the pursuing children. He laughed, "Heh heh, those little delinquents won't know what's coming, I'll never let them take the spring away!" But before he could get the cannonballs, a voice was heard in the dark...

"**Oh, a cannon, how thrilling! But how about we give it a little 'boost'?**"

Before Mugear could ask who was talking to him, a black ooze came underneath him and started to absorb him and the cannon, "Wha-what is this? Stop it, let me go! STOP IT I'M BEGGING YOU AAAAAAAGH!"

...

...

"...heh heh...heh ha ha...ha ha ha ha ha ha ha, **HA HA HA HA HA HA HAAAA!**!"

End of Chapter 29

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**Next Chapter, Sora and the Elrics encounter Mugear's new form while trying to end the threat of the Red Water.**

**Please Comment.**


	30. Chapter 30

**Last time, due to Sora's exposure to the Red Water's poisonous touch, the Elric Brothers had to go alone to Mugear's Mansion, where Mugear greeted them and claimed that he was fooled by the Tringum Brothers and their attempt at pretending to be the Elric Brothers. While he was recovering, Sora was approached by an unlikely source of information from Crimson, the King of the Golems. Crimson warned him that the Elrics were in danger, so the young Keyblade Master was forced to rush, while poisoned, to the Elric's side.**

**While inside the mansion, the Elrics freed the Tringum Brothers, knowing that they came to look for their father, Nash Tringum. However, he later confronted the man responsible for the disappearance of Nash...Mugear himself! The Baron took out his weapon, the Red Rain, and used the Red Stones inside the lab to fuel it's source of power and fire a barrage of bullets at the Elrics. **

**Just then, Sora came and distracted Mugear, giving the Elrics enough time to push over a pillar, crushing him instantly while Sora destroyed the Red Rain. And to the Elric's surprise, Sora had just recovered from the poison. The trio were surprised even more when they found a trap door under the pillar they used to crush Mugear, meaning that he survived. But before they could chase him, the Tringum Brothers brought gas masks for them to use while they traversed the poisonous lair underneath.**

**Meanwhile, as Mugear was making preparations to protect the Red Water Spring, Crimson appeared and gave Mugear a boost...  
**

**Warning: Kingdom Hearts and Fullmetal Alchemist are both licensed by Square-Enix. The secondary licenses for both franchises are Disney (Kingdom Hearts), Aniplex, Bones Inc., and Funimation (Fullmetal Alchemist). **

**PS: There will be spoilers.**

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Fullmetal Kingdom: The Fanfic

Chapter 30: All Washed Up

Inside the poisonous mine, while wearing the protective gas masks, Sora, the Elric Brothers, and the Tringum Brothers ran straight for the Red Water Spring. Ed then asked, "Russel, how much farther?" Russel replied, "The spring that the Red Water comes from is just up ahead, we're almost there!" But suddenly, Ed and Russel bounced off something!

It was a large fat person, who was almost as big as Alphonse. Sora tapped the person on the shoulder, "Hey buddy, don't know if you noticed, but your in the way." The person turned around...and revealed his face, which was completely black, with yellow eyes like..."A GOLEM!"

The fat creature attacked Sora, but the young bodyguard dodged the attack. Sora brought out his Avenger, but Ed raised his hand at Sora, "Hold it, you're still recovering from the poison. Let me handle this." Sora asked, "Edward, that thing is huge! How are you gonna beat it?" Ed clapped his hands and transmuted a large cannon, "By blowing it away!"

Russel stopped Ed, "Wait! It'll start a chain reaction! We'll be buried underground!" Ed then transmuted the cannon into a spear, "Alright, I'll gut him like a-!" just as Ed thrusts his spear at the fat Golem, to his surprise, the spear bounced off of his belly.

"...trout!"

The Large Body then scratched his stomach, then he jumped into the air and when he landed, he sent a shock wave, blowing the party an inch away. The Large Body then came toward Ed and Sora and grabbed them, but before he could do anything, he was blasted from behind!

As the Large Body fell down, Sora said, "Well...I guess they can be vulnerable from behind." Just then, another blast was heard, Al pulled Sora out of the cannon fire's way, "Are you OK Sora?" Sora replied, "I'm OK, but I'd like to know who the double agent is who saved us then tried to off us."

"I'll never surrender the spring!"

The party recognized the voice, "Mugear!" Sora then took a peek at the greedy baron, but was shocked to see that their enemy looked quite different. A strange octopus-like creature, with a small Golem head on top, held it's gaping mouth open to let it's fuzed prisoner, Mugear, use the cannon (which was also fuzed with the mouth of the Golem) to try and blast his opponents to pieces.

Sora looked at Ed and said, "Ed, Mugear's been mixed into a Golem!" As Ed stared in disbelief, a different voice was heard, "Not just any Golem, it's one of my Golem Generals, much like the Guard Armor, this masterpiece controls the Golems in this area. You can call it...the Parasite Cage!"

Ed then remembered the voice, "Wait a minute, I saw this guy in Lior!" The voice laughed, "Well well, it's nice to see you again my tiny friend." Before Ed could throw a huffy, Sora asked, "You're from Lior? I knew it, you're one of Cornello's followers!" The voice replied, "Since when does Crimson worship a false god?" Ed then said, "I knew it, it's you alright, the guy who claimed to be a real god, Crimson himself."

Sora then asked, "So your the one who controls the Golems?" Crimson replied, "I am their master, and their creator. However, now isn't the time for us to get acquainted, right now, you have a mass that needs to be massacred..." Crimson's voice was no longer heard, and so Mugear, in his Parasite Cage body, walks even closer to the group, "Where are you boys? Aren't you going to show yourselves? I promise I won't bite...I'll just finish you off!"

Sora's voice was heard, "Like you 'finished' the children of Xenotime? This product you made was the reason many of them died as babies, now the ones who are still alive might not make it past their teenage years! Are you really so desperate to kill children for gold?" Mugear laughed, "WHO CARES ABOUT THOSE LITTLE BRATS? THEY'RE LIVES ARE NOTHING COMPARED TO THE RAW POWER OF RED WATER! WITH THIS POWER, HUMANITY ITSELF CAN SURPASS IT'S OWN LIMITATIONS!"

"You...DISGUSTING BASTARD! NOTHING IS MORE PRECIOUS THAN A CHILD'S LIFE!" Sora then takes Ed's spear and rushes at Mugear! Ed called out, "SORA, WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU THINKING?" Mugear then uses the Parasite Cage's small head to blow a large portion of Red Poisonous Mist at Sora, who says in response, "Not this time!" Then Sora began to spin the spear like a fan, and then he pulled out his Avenger and span it the same way.

The two spinning weapons together make for a perfect counter against Mugear's toxin, as a fan that blows the poisonous mist right back at the Parasite Cage! Though the poison didn't affect Mugear or the Parasite Cage, the blown fog was enough to block their sight! Sora then threw his Avenger through the small head of the Parasite Cage, causing it to go crazy like a headless chicken!

Mugear was spat out of the creature as it started to melt. Mugear, drenched in black goo, pulled out his cannon and filled it with a nearby cannonball and aimed it at Sora, "As long as I have the Red Water, nothing can stop me! Least of all, a mindless assassin, a diminutive State Alchemist, and their copycat friends!" Ticked off, Ed came in front of Sora and said, "Heh, 'Diminutive State Alchemist? POINTS FOR THE BIG WORD, BUT YER STILL GOIN' DOWN!"

Frustrated, Mugear fired the cannon at Ed, who just dodged the attack, causing the shot to go into a cracked wall...

The wall then started to crack even more, then the entire cave started to rupture, Russel then realized what happened, "Ed, the chamber is starting to fall apart, let's get outta here!" Mugear rushed to the spring to make sure it was safe, then he was approached by Ed and Sora, who then said, "Face it Mugear, it's all over for you and this Red Water spring." Ed continued, "You used every sick trick in the book, but even with all you're red stones and cannon fodder, we're on a whole different level!"

"No...I'll never surrender...the spring!" Mugear stood in the way, but shook in fear as Sora and Ed prepared to destroy the spring. But then, Sora noticed a part of the ceiling starting to come down, so he pushed Ed out of the way!

(KRACOOOOOM!)

A large boulder came down on Mugear, and as the young State Alchemist stood back up, he called out, "Sora? DAMN IT SORA, I'VE HAD IT WITH YOU'RE HEROICS!" Ed then rushed towards the boulder to try and find his stubborn friend...

…...

As time went by, Sora started to open his eyes, and he saw before him, a small girl with blond hair, "N-Namine? Is that..." Sora walked towards Namine, who turned around with a smile, "Hey there, I made this for you." Namine then offered Sora a charm...made entirely out of thalassa shells, Sora recognized the charm, "My charm! Wait, you made this?"

When Sora looked back at Namine, her skin changed white, and her hair slowly changed red...then black! "You don't remember? I'm not important enough to remember? _You don't care about me? You hate me?_" Namine's voice changed into a different girl's voice, which was starting to frighten Sora, "I don't hate you-!" Namine looked at him...with black eyes...with small yellow pupils!

"_Why don't you remember Sora...don't you remember...remember...remember...remember __**ME**__?_"

"AAAAAAAAAAAGHH!" Sora screamed as he woke up! He took a few deep breaths and looked around. He was in bed, inside of Belsio's house! As he looked around, he noticed someone in a chair at a corner in the room, "Took you long enough, I thought you'd never get up!" to Sora's amazement, it was Tidus.

Sora scratched his head and asked, "Uhh, Tidus? Why...why am I here?" Tidus replied, "First of all..." Tidus stands up from his chair and walks over to Sora...THEN KNEES HIM IN THE FACE! After that, Tidus said to Sora, "That's for leaving us at Destiny Islands! What the hell did Riku do to you man? We thought you were killed by that sociopath!"

"W-wait, you don't hate me?" Sora asked Tidus. Tidus scratched his chin and replied, "Uhh, well, I am pissed off that you just up and left us to check on Riku. And we haven't heard from you for sometime, but I don't hate you, your a clumsy oaf that we could never hate." Sora's gave a confused look at Tidus, "So...who's 'we'?" Tidus replied, "WHAT? Don't tell me you've forgotten about Wakka, Lulu, Tina and the others!"

Sora jumped from his bed, "That's right! The other orphans! Tidus, where are they?" Tidus looked down and replied, "...I don't know. Something happened to us while we were hiding form the crowd. Sora, the others were taken captive by-!" Just then, the door was opened, the ones who entered were Donald, Goofy, and the Elric Brothers.

Goofy said, "It's good to see you awake Sora! We were getting worried" Ed and Donald looked away and said, "NO WE WEREN'T!" Al looked at Ed and said, "Brother! Sora just saved your life again, the least you can do is say 'thank you' to him!" Ed looked at Sora and said, "...look, I admit, you did a great job. You saved my life again, and that took allot of guts. So...thank you...for always helping me out. But I don't want you to die either, alright? So quit running into situations like that."

Sora smiled, "Ed, like I said...you have to trust me, I can help you and Al find the Philosopher Stone. I want to be as much help to you as I can, just like in Lior, when you helped me stop Cornello. Do you think I'm being stupid for protecting my friends?" Ed shook his head, "No, I'm not the type to point and laugh at people for being crazy. But next time, I'll let you know when I need help."

"Yes sir."

As the day went by, Sora made a call to the Colonel about the situation in Xenotime while Donald and Goofy brought their luggage into the train and the Elric Brothers said goodbye to Elisa and the Tringum Brothers. Alisa gave Al a basket filled with Lemons, "Take these, their from my uncle!" After Al took the basket, Fletcher shook Ed's hand and said, "Thanks you guys, for everything." Al replied, "It was nothing, besides, you and Russel are the ones we should be thanking. You two were the ones who used the nearby trees surrounding the mansion like a sponge and absorbing the Red Water. Thanks to you two, Xenotime will once again be a peaceful place to live."

Russel smiled, "Well just wait until you guys come back, this town will be even better." Elisa then siad, "And who knows, by then, I'll probably be taller than you Ed." Ed laughed, "Hey, respect your elders!" Russel then looked at Ed and said, "Yeah, me and Fletcher here were offered a job by Belsio to work in his lemon farm. Our alchemy should be beneficial to the farms here."

Just then, Sora rushed towards them, "Is it time to go yet?" Russel then patted Sora on the shoulder, "Just the guy I wanted to talk with. We should thank you to buddy, if it wasn't for you breaking that funny looking headband, we wouldn't have known the real Tidus. Take care Sora, and look after that sports fanatic for us, OK?" Sora nodded his head, "Sure, but it won't be easy, Tidus was never a quiet guy to begin with."

As Fletcher and Elisa walked over to Sora to say goodbye, Russel gave Ed a concerned look, "So Ed, are you still looking for the Philosopher Stone?" Ed replied, "Yeah, after all, I have to change my brother back. It'll be tough, but I won't be doing it alone, I got the 'hero' over there watching my back." Russel then said to Ed, "...if you want, I can tell you exactly how we crystallized the Red Stone. It's not so much out of atonement...it's just because you deserve to know."

Ed thought to himself for a moment, but he looked back at Russel and said, "Nah, it's alright. We'll find the real article on our own. You can count on that."

After a few minutes, Sora, Ed, Al, Tidus, Donald and Goofy boarded the train and left Xenotime, and they waved goodbye to their friends and Xenotime.

As Al looked at the lemons in the basket, he noticed a letter addressed to Ed, and so he gave it to his brother, "Ed look, it's a message...form Russel." Ed took the message and read it. But just as he was almost finished, Ed read something that made his eyes pop! Sora then noticed Ed's shocked appearance, "What is it?" Ed replied, "I-it's nothing!"

"Oh? …...**LEMME SEE LEMME SEE LEMME SEE**!"

Ed pulled the message away before Sora could take it and read, but then, Al surprised him by taking the message. Ed yelled, "Al! Give that back!" Al then read outloud...

"_Ed, _

_Thank you for all the help and the words of wisdom you gave us. I'm sorry I was such a smart ass to you at first, but I am trying to be a better older brother to Fletcher. I'll try hard to follow you're example Ed, I guess you being a year older than me makes a big difference._

_Well have a good trip._

_Russel._"

Ed crossed his arms and frowned, "Damn it! A year younger and he's so much taller than me! Life's so unfare!" Al then asked, "You think those two are gonna be alright?" Sora replied, "Yeah, they'll be fine, and maybe we'll be to."

While the train was returning to Central, elsewhere, in a dark, misty area shrouded in blue earth and crystal, Crimson walked through the area and said to himself, "The test was a success! The Keyblade Master CAN separate a dark spirit, like my Golems, from a human. So with step one taken care of, I'll need to think carefully about step two."

Crimson then stopped in front of a strange looking tree with black apples. Crimson smiled, " The White Tree itself! Hmm, it's still bearing fruit...excellent! Now lets see...which ones to choose?" Crimson reached out for three apples and took them from the tree. Crimson said to himself, "It's hard to believe a tree would be the best way to seal a great evil...but I'm not complaining! All I really needed were the three of you to help me. So lets go home kiddies...**and discuss the location of you're mother.**"

End of Chapter 30 and the Xenotime Arc

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**Before I make the preview, I just wanted to ask, does anyone want me to continue the crossover? Is the story good? What's it's ups and downs? Please answer by commenting while reviewing the chapter.**

**Next Chapter, Crimson expands his empire while Sora and the Elrics head to East City. **

**Please Comment.**


	31. Chapter 31

**Before I get started, I just want to thank all the users that gave a review to my last chapter. Thank you satheroth335, Ruby Warrior Girl 730, yrpluver97, Samswimmer, Mitsuki Lockhart, and bug 349. **

**Fullmetal Kingdom will now continue thanks to all of you who love both Kingdom Hearts & Fullmetal Alchemist. Sit back, and enjoy the story.**

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**Last time, Sora and the Elric Brothers followed the Tringum Brothers through the cavern that lead to the Red Water Spring. On their way there, they encountered a new Golem called the Large Body, who seemed to be immune to the group's attacks, but it's weakness was shown when an attack came from behind. The attack came from Mugear, who was fuzed with another Golem named the Parasite Cage, courtesy of the Golem leader, Crimson, whom Ed encountered once in Lior, and who convinced Sora to rush to the Elrics's side.**

**While Sora and Ed engaged the crazed baron, Mugear carelessly set off a chain reaction inside the cavern, making the entire lair collapse on top of him. And with the spring shattered, the Red Water was released out of the mountain. During their attempts at escaping, Sora was knocked unconscious, forcing Edward to look for his stubborn friend...**

**After another disturbing nightmare about the mysterious girl, Sora found himself being cared for by Tidus, who was recovering from the mind control power of the Slave Crown.**

**Sora joined Tidus, and boarded the train along with the Elric Brothers and the Genomes, Donald & Goofy. As the train was about to leave, Russel asked if Ed wanted to know the truth about how they made the ingredients for the Philosopher Stone, but Ed refused, knowing that he'll figure it out sooner or later.**

**The train left Xenotime, and though the threat of the Red Water ended, danger was still present elsewhere, as Crimson walked through a valley of crystals and picked three black apples from a White Tree, telling them that he knew something about their "mother"...**

**Warning: Kingdom Hearts and Fullmetal Alchemist are both licensed by Square-Enix. The secondary licenses for both franchises are Disney (Kingdom Hearts), Aniplex, Bones Inc., and Funimation (Fullmetal Alchemist). **

**PS: There will be spoilers.**

* * *

Fullmetal Kingdom: The Fanfic

Chapter 31: East City

"_This is a sanctuary for silence and truth, a land covered in the endless radiance that is my shadow. As my shadow covers the land, so does the silent whispers of my truth. Despair will be felt by those who lie not only to my shadow...but to themselves. But my shadow can also comfort the honest and the brave. To oppose my shadow...is to oppose my word, my will, and this 'Bleeding Continent' in which we stand. For it bleeds from mankind's wounds and weaknesses. Mankind has been foolish enough to be tempted by power, and the one who holds their desires in his clutches is the one who gave me this face. Once I was alive, but now, I am enslaved by my undying desire for revenge. Your faces haunts me my children, as does your tormentors. Years and lifetimes have passed, but unlike them, I will not disappear, in time, my shadow, my power, my vengeance...__**They will make the city BLEED WITH CRIMSON BLOOD FOREVER!**_**"**

While Crimson was sitting on his throne, Pete bursts into the room, "(gasp, gasp) You know, those black portals would be useful if I used them! Why don't I have that power? I can't just wait for you to pull me right back here! Do you know how far your castle is?" Crimson turned around and replied, "It wasn't anything personal my friend, I just thought the future king of Fantasia would've wanted to loose a few pounds."

"HEY! I know I have a bit of a weight problem, but that's not something to joke about!" Pete said as he sat on a nearby sofa. Crimson then asked, "So, how did it go with the Eastern Liberation?" Pete replied, "Well, they were impressed by my-I mean, YOUR power. They told me to let you know that they want the Golems. And that they would join us if they were given the power to use them."

Crimson stood up from his throne and walked toward the center of the throne room, "NICE! We have an army. But not just any army, an army of greedy fools seeking the destruction of the military! You've done well my friend, but we're going to need more than an army of men and monsters-." Pete interrupted, "And alchemists?" Crimson was surprised by what Pete said, "...alchemists?" Pete explained, "Yeah, alchemists, I found tons of 'em in the Eastern Liberation. They were either drop outs or traitors. You'll love'em!"

Crimson walked over to a shelf filled with wine and took out a bottle of Strawberry wine. After he poured himself a glass, he said to Pete, "Yes, well hopefully they won't disappoint me. Now, to the point! We were obviously going to need more than my Golems and the Eastern Liberation...we need warriors, STRONG warriors in our army, as well as tacticians, scientists, an unstoppable force of people worthy to lead a massive army!" Pete then asked, "So, where do we find people like that?" Crimson replied, "No idea! But for now, I found a few...interests."

"HOT-CHA-CHAAAAA!"

Pete was surprised to hear a different voice in the room, "WHO'S THERE?" The voice replied, "I'm there, I'm here, I'm everywhere, but to be more specific, TURN AROUND FATSO!" Pete looked behind him and saw a tall rat-like Genome, dressed in streetwise clothes, Pete then recognized the rat, "Mortimer Mouse?" Mortimer replied, "Friends call me Mort for short! HOT-CHA-CHAAAA!"

Pete turned towards Crimson and asked, "You brought HIM here? He's a rat! He once tried to marry the president's wife, Minnie! We can't trust a weasel like him!" Just then, Pete heard some honking from a car outside, Crimson then checked a clock on the wall and said, "Hmm, speaking of weasels..." Pete then rushed to the balcony and saw a group of weasels step out of a car with guns, swords, chainsaws, and other weapons. Pete stepped back while shaking his head in disbelief, "Wise Guy, Greasy, Wheezy, Psycho, and Stupid...the Weasels? You even brought them here?"

Crimson replied, "Since we were using an army of mice and men, I figured I'd go to Fantasia to root out other twisted 'rats' like yourself." Pete pointed at the Weasels and said, "Do you know what those guys can do? They'll...they'll pulverize me!" Mortimer then asked, "Why, because they once worked for you and you left 'em for dead in prison?" Pete replied, "NO! because they worked for me and I left them for dead in Yen Sid's tower! It was a great plan! We would steal the magic Yen Sid used to train Mickey, then we'd be unstoppable, just like 'Mr. President' himself!"

"If it was so great, then why did you fail?"

Pete then noticed a slim figure, covered entirely in black, walking into the throne room. Crimson walked over to him and said to Pete, "Pete, meet the brains behind my Science Department, the Phantom Blott." The Phantom Blott offered Pete a handshake, "A pleasure." As Pete went over to shake his hand, the Phantom's hand fuzed with Pete's hand!

Pete was starting to freak out, "Wh-whaddya think yer doin'? Let go! LET ME GO, PLEASE, LET ME GO!" Crimson waved his hand at Pete, "Calm down Pete, this is how the Blott introduces himself. He grabs you, then reads your mind, copies your DNA for experimentation, and then..." The Phantom Blott continued, "Let's you go." As the Phantom releases Pete's hand, Pete nodded, "Y-yeah, uh, thanks."

Pete looked at Crimson and said, "Well, boss man, it looks like you got a great bunch of followers to help us out!" Crimson replied, "Oh, but I wasn't finished introducing my latest recruits."

"Does he mean us brother?"

"Yes...he does brother."

"It's about time!"

Pete turned around and was face to face with three silver haired young men. They were wearing black leather suits and carried small gun-blades on their sides. The young man in the middle approached Pete and unsheathed a sword with two blades. He points it at Pete and said, "So...this is a Genome. What an ugly creature." Pete got irritated, "Ugly huh? I'm still strong enough to pound you like a-!"

Before Pete could punch the swordsman, the short-haired young man kicked Pete into the air while the taller and slimmer one pulled out his gun-blade, as well as a second gun-blade, and starts firing at Pete, who tries to dodge every last one before falling back on the floor! Pete tries to stand up, but his fat belly was stepped on by the two young men, keeping him down.

The younger man then said, "Only an ugly creature like you would resort to using your brawn instead of your limited brain cells. In case you haven't noticed, we're sparing your meaningless life. There's no reason for us to kill ANOTHER weakling!"

Pete looked at Crimson and asked, "Sir, who the heck are these jerks?" Crimson replied, "The younger one is Kadaj, wielder of the Souba. The strong one is Loz, user of the Dual Hound. And that slim guy with the looks, he is Yazoo, expert of the Velvet Nightmare. They are the Remnants., merciless agents brought to life from a lone white tree that brings out black fruit."

Pete trembled, "Y-you mean...THE Black Fruit? Th-the location of the tree that makes that fruit...is the resting place of the first alchemists...who succeeded in bringing a human to life! You've been there?" Crimson slowly nodded, giving Pete even more chills up his spine.

Crimson explained, "That human...wasn't exactly human at all. She was...special. And the alchemists...we'll discuss this later, we have to begin preparations on the second test." Pete got up and asked, "Test? What test? Don't tell me your gonna quiz us now(wine)!" Crimson replied, "It's for the Keyblade Master you ale craved buffoon." Pete felt embarrassed, so he asked, "So...what's the new test, sir?"

Crimson didn't reply, instead, he walked out of the throne room...

Meanwhile, at a nearby train station...

"What? We're going to East City?"

Sora replied to Ed, "Yep, Mustang told us to head there to report our findings in Xenotime." Al then said, "But we didn't find anything in Xenotime. We just stopped someone from polluting the town." Tidus interrupted, "Hey, what about me? You guys found ME in Xenotime!" Ed looked at Tidus with an angry face, "We don't care! Your only with us because of Sora!" Tidus gave Ed an angrier face, "HEY SHUT UP, YA BEAN-SIZED BUTTHEAD!" Ed replied, "WHO YA CALLIN' A SEED THAT DOESN'T NEED TO GROW TO PLEASE PEOPLE'S APPETITE AND INSTEAD BECOMES INGREDIENTS FOR CHILLI?"

Sora looked at them and asked, "God, can't have a ride on a train without you two fighting?" The two blond boys turned at Sora and said, "CAN IT BUSH-HEAD!" Sora just backed away. But then, he bumped into a hooded 14 year old teenage girl. The hooded girl turned around and said, "Hey, watch where your going you creep!" Sora apologized, "I'm sorry, I'm sorry! I didn't look where I was going, are you alright?"

The hooded girl looked at Sora's face and started to blush, so she replied, "W-well, you didn't do anything wrong, so there really isn't anything for me to be angry about." Sora rubbed the back of his head in shyness and said, "Well...thank you. I'll try and be more careful miss." The hooded girl nodded, "Make sure you do, Sora."

Sora became startled after hearing his name come from someone he never met, "Uh, have we met?" The hooded girl replied, "Oh, uh...well, you ARE Sora, right? The one who defeated that giant Golem?" The hooded girl pulled out a news article from her pocket and asked Sora while showing him the article, "This IS you, right?" Sora replied, "Yeah, that's me. It wasn't easy, but I took that thing down in a matter of seconds! And it would have been pretty hard if I didn't have anyone backing me up."

The hooded girl asked, "You had help? Who helped you out?" Sora explained, "A loner with a funny looking sword-gun thing and an old guy with a spear, dynamite, and a smoking problem. They were pretty cool when they helped me out, I just wish I knew what they were doing now..."

Elsewhere, in Central City, at Rin's Travel Agency, Leon, Aeris, Rin, Yuffie, and Cid were sitting together while looking at a recent article from East City. Leon looked at Aeris, "I'm going to see him." Aeris stood up and said, "I'm coming to! I have to see him with my own eyes." Cid also stood up and said, "You kids just can't be stopped, can you? Look, we can fix the damage on our own, we don't need to talk to that little...(grunts). Besides, Sora's on our side to, so we don't need to resort to this."

Leon looked at Cid and replied, "Your wrong Cid, we don't have a choice anymore. We're going to meet with him and get some answers."

As Leon and Aeris prepare to leave, Sora and the others finally arrived at East City. As the passengers of the train came out, Ed sighed, knowing what was coming for him. Al then asked, "Brother, what's the matter?" Ed replied, "It's like Sora said, we're here to report to the colonel about how much we screwed up!" Ed then crossed his arms and impersonated his superior officer, "'Struck out on the Philosopher Stone again huh?' 'How am I supposed to keep funding this goose-chase!' 'Money doesn't grow on trees there CHIEF!'"

Sora and the hooded girl came out of the train after Donald and Goofy, the two then looked at each other and continued their talk. The hooded girl shook Sora's hand and said, "Well, good luck with whatever happens." Sora nodded, "Thanks miss, goodbye." The hooded girl then made her way to the exit and left, but not before turning around and saying, "I hope we meet again Sora!"

Sora was stricken with shyness, until he heard Ed making a ruckus in the crowd while impersonating Mustang, "'Ed? Where'd you run off to? Oh there you are! I couldn't see you, seeing as how your so short and all HA HA HA HA HA!'" Sora then drop-kicked Ed out of the train station, "WOULD YOU SHUT IT ALREADY?" As the two came out of the station, Alphonse, Tidus, and the Genomes followed.

As they carried the luggage, Donald started pouting again, "If we keep wasting time like this, we'll never find the president!" Goofy asked, "Well what are we gonna do Donald? We can't let anyone know who we really are, and besides, the Colonel was nice enough to let us work with Sora. I mean, have you seen him fight? He's almost as good as Mickey. I think we should trust them a bit longer."

Donald looked at Goofy and said, "I'm glad you're not worried Goofy, but I am! We've wasted enough time playing 'butler' for a runt!" Ed's head suddenly twisted towards Donald with a sinister look, **"Who's the runt?"** Donald sweated in fear and answered, "Uh...society. Yeah, society's gone smaller, it stinks!"

Meanwhile, inside of the Eastern Prison, inside a cell, was a former general of the Eastern Liberation, and a former soldier of the military, Bald, a man that had an automail arm with a gun attachment, who once led a team of men in a train heist, as well as capturing a general named Hakuro and his family. His plan was brilliant, and simple, hold the general hostage until the State releases their leader, however, his plan was vanquished by the teamwork of the Elric Brothers and Maes Hughes. And to make his defeat even worse, he was torched by Roy Mustang after attempting to take his life.

That was three years ago, and since then, Bald remembered the pain he suffered that day. He took a piece of chalk and drew a line on a wall that was filled with lines that counted down how many days and years he has left...

Just then, a guard came over to his cell and told him, "Theirs someone to see you Bald. Get up." Bald smiled, "Let me guess, it's my mommy, right? Tch, tell him I'm not in the mood for a chat."

"Guard, it's alright, I'll talk with him here."

The guard nodded and left, leaving Bald to question who the person was that wanted a word with him alone. The one who wanted to meet with Bald approached the cell door and said, "Your not looking so well in there Bald. Do you...**need a hand?**"

End of Chapter 31

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**Next Chapter, Sora learns the identity of the one who kidnapped his assassin brothers and sisters.**

**Thanks again!  
**

**Please Comment.  
**


	32. Chapter 32

**Last time, Crimson brought Pete into his throne room to introduce him to his new allies, Mortimer Mouse, The Weasels, The Phantom Blott, and three strange silver-haired brothers called the Remnants. With his new allies and the Eastern Liberation on his side, Crimson makes preparations for the "second test"...**

**Meanwhile, Sora alerts his friends Donald, Goofy, Tidus, and the Elric Brothers, that they are needed at East City, so they could report to Colonel Mustang about their findings at Xenotime. While on the train, Sora encountered a hooded girl that was about his age, the girl seemed strange, but Sora befriended her anyway. As the train arrived at East City, Sora said good-bye to the hooded girl, and the Elrics prepared for the worst.**

**Elsewhere, an old enemy of the Elric Brothers, Bald, was rotting in the Eastern Prison, when suddenly, a mysterious guest arrived and offered him something, something that he couldn't refuse...**

**Warning: Kingdom Hearts and Fullmetal Alchemist are both licensed by Square-Enix. The secondary licenses for both franchises are Disney (Kingdom Hearts), Aniplex, Bones Inc., and Funimation (Fullmetal Alchemist). **

**PS: There will be spoilers.**

* * *

Fullmetal Kingdom: The Fanfic

Chapter 32: Kidnapped by the Ally

In East City, Sora and Tidus were entering a hotel, hoping to afford a room for the young Blitzer. The man in the front desk offered Tidus a room, No. XII. So as the two headed upstairs, Tidus had to ask, "Hey Sora, hows life in the military?" Sora answered while carrying Tidus's luggage, "Ugh, I'm kinda busy here. I'll tell you when we arrive."

After wandering the hallway for a few seconds, the two finally arrive at room XII. As Tidus opened the door for Sora, he asked again, "OK, we're here dude. So tell me how things are going in the military?" as he releases the luggage, Sora replied, "Well, it's not easy being a bodyguard, your target yells at you sometimes when you do your job, you get shot at...allot, and you never get the girl."

Tidus then asked, "Ahh, so you met somebody?" Sora shook his head, "It's nothing important." Tidus then grabbed Sora by the shoulder and shook him, "YOU LUCKY LITTLE JERK! I knew there was a girl out there for you other than that Namine chick." Sora looked at Tidus, "THIN ICE TIDUS! You are walking on thin ice!" Tidus lets go of Sora, "Sorry, sorry, it's just, well, ever since you came to Y. O. U. T. H., you've never remembered much except for Namine. She was very important to you, and I'm sorry for saying, I am, but you need to move on with your life. Meet other people, like some brunette girl with...pretty eyes, a hot body, a beautiful singing voice, and the most luscious-."

"OK Tidus, now your starting to scare me."

As Tidus shrugged, Sora had to ask, "By the way, did you see Riku? And...the others, are they alright?" Tidus replied, "I haven't seen that white-haired traitor! Seriously, why would you even want to see him? The guy's as sick and stupid as my-...anyway, before they could grab them, Wakka and Lulu escaped with Selphie and Zach and a few others. But unfortunately, Tina and I were one of the orphans who were captured."

Sora was startled by Tidus's words, "So now Tina's apart of this mess? Damn it! She's been through enough stress! She was always the unfortunate one, she was always picked to kill, but she...I never wanted to see her suffer again!"

Sora then started to remember the first time he met Tina Branford...

"**Alright Sora, you'll be pared with No. 341, Tina, she's also a newcomer."**

Tina was one of Sora's natural friends, like a few of the orphans, Sora had a strong bond with her.

"**Your Tina right? I'm Sora, it's nice to- wait, where are you going?"**

The first time Sora met Tina was during an assassination mission, when they were paired together.

"**Don't make me do it again...DON'T MAKE ME KILL AGAIN!"**

The mission was a success, however, Sora was surprised how terrifying Tina truly was...

"**Tina, calm down, it's me, Sora! I'm not going ot hurt you-!"**

Tina was a subject to many experiments before she joined Y. O. U. T. H., one in particular was a chimerical program called Lycanthropy, an experiment that gave people the ability to change into beasts.

"**!"**

After their mission, Sora wanted to know Tina better, he even wanted to become friends with the troubled girl, but when he offered her a hand in friendship, she went berserk and almost killed him.

"**(gasp) No, NO, I didn't want this! I didn't want to hurt him! I JUST WANTED TO BE LEFT ALONE!"**

Tina was devastated by what she did to Sora, so she secluded herself inside her room. She never spoke to anyone who approached the door. But one day...

"**Tina? Are you in there?"**

Sora approached her room, and offered to play with her. Tina's face lit up and her eyes filled with tears.

She opened the door and rushed to him.

"**(crying) I NEVER HATED YOU! I NEVER HATED YOU! PLEASE FORGIVE ME, PLEASE...please...(sniffle)"**

Tina hugged Sora tightly and cried for hours. She begged for him to forgive her, and he said...

"**I should have agreed with you Tina. I didn't want to hurt anyone either...Tina, we're friends right?"**

"**(sniffle)I-I guess."**

"**Then lets make a promise!"**

Sora then extended his pinky to Tina's, and the two promised each other that they would never take an innocent life ever again.

Back in the current time, Sora then grabbed Tidus and asked, "Tidus, tell me who kidnapped you guys! I have to know!" Tidus shook his head, "Like I told you in Xenotime, I don't know!" Sora asked, "If you don't know the names, could you at least tell me what they looked like, what clothes they were wearing, weapons, hats, peach fuzz, ANYTHING THAT COULD HELP!"

Tidus pushed Sora away, "Calm down buddy, I'm thinking about it!" Tidus sat in a comfy chair and scratched his chin. He thought for a while for any clue to help Sora out, and then, a though came, "The uniforms! I remember, they were wearing military uniforms!"

Sora's eyes widened, "...what?"

As Sora's mind began filling with questions, inside the East HQ of the military, inside of Mustang's office, Ed's boss commented, "Wow Ed, you've really made some 'bang for our buck'." Ed replied to Mustang, "Yeah, well it was your idea for me to check on Lior, for a stone that turned out to be a fake!" Mustang nodded, "That's true, but I didn't send you there to seek out their prophet and rat him out to his people."

Mustang then stood up and continued, "That reminds me, how did it REALLY go over there in Huskisson's castle?" Ed replied, "It's like I told you earlier, he didn't have anything worth my time, and he was all about 'replacing alchemy with technology' and all that bull." Mustang smiled, "Is that why you 'blew up the joint'?" Ed looked away and said, "W-well, there was an article on Xenotime there. It gave me and Al just what we needed...until we came there and a few fakers were using our names." Roy shook his head, "(sigh) your forgetting the land baron Mugear, who was using the Tringum Brothers to forge a real Philosopher Stone."

Ed was angered by Mustang's knowledge of Ed's mishaps on his quest, so he grunted, "So you know everything about what I did, huh? Great! Glad we had that conversation!" Mustang turned towards the window and said, "Settle down Edward. You could at least act like you were following orders." Ed gave a frustrated look at his superior officer and asked, "Why, so I could look like one of your toddies? You know me and Al have other concerns."

Mustang replied, "Like the Philosopher Stone? I've assigned you with a bodyguard, and so far, even before he joined you, there hasn't been a single development in your search for the stone." Ed stood up from his seat and said, "I'm going to find it...no matter what!"

As Ed and Mustang were talking, Donald was listening to their conversation. Donald gripped his fist and said, "In other words, as long as that State Alchemist is looking for that mythical stone, me and Goofy will never find the president!" Goofy then came to Donald's side and asked, "Hey Donald, why are you eavesdropping on other people's conversations?" Donald retaliated, "Well why are you holding a cup of Green Ether?" Goofy replied, "Mr. Mustang was getting thirsty, so I volunteered to get him something to drink."

Donald slapped the Ether out of Goofy's hands, "WE'RE NOT DOING ANYMORE FAVORS FOR THESE GUN-TOTING PALOOKAS!"

Donald pointed at Goofy, "We're not here to provide service for humans Goofy, we're here on a rescue mission! Have you forgotten your primary goal?" Goofy shook his head, "Gwarsh, no Donald! I haven't forgotten. I just want to help people out while waiting for the colonel's word on where Mickey is. I know how you feel Donald, but being angry isn't-." Donald yelled, "YOU HAVE NO IDEA HOW I FEEL GOOFY! I HATE IT HERE, I WANT TO GO HOME, I WANNA FORGET I EVEN CAME TO THIS PLACE!"

"To what place? You mean East City?"

Donald and Goofy looked in the direction the voice came from and standing there, was Riza Hawkeye. Goofy blushed and said, "(ahyuk) Hi there mam." Donald looked away and said, "Yeah, Birdeye, whatever-look, we're having a guy talk right now. Can you give us a few seconds?" Hawkeye looked at Goofy and asked, "Goofy, is that the colonel's Ether on the floor?" Goofy replied, "(gulp) I tried to get it to him, but Donald knocked it outta my hands."

Hawkeye gave Donald a furious unseen look of terror, "The colonel asks Goofy to run an errand...AND YOU WOULD TAKE IT AWAY FROM HIM?" Donald started to sweat in fear, "Uh, ha ha, I was just, uh, explaining to Goofy why it was so important to, um, ...BATHROOM BREAK!" Donald ran for his life while Goofy said to Hawkeye, "I'll try and get some more mam." Riza nodded, "Make it quick Goofy." But just as Goofy was making his way back to the cafeteria, he bumped into a very tall man...

Just then, Sora stormed into East HQ to find the colonel's office. Riza notices Sora looking around and asks, "Sora, are you alright? You seem to be troubled by something." Sora turned his face at hers and said, "Second Lieutenant, I have to speak with the Colonel, NOW!" Hawkeye explained, "Mustang's in there, speaking to Ed. But it's not a good time to speak with him Sora, he's quite busy." Sora headed straight for the door, "I'm sorry Hawkeye, I have to talk to him now! If I don't, then I'll regret it!"

Riza grabbed Sora by the wrist, "No. 516, I have worked with the Colonel since the Ishbal War, if it is urgent, then it is alright for you to talk to me, understand?"

As Sora looked into Hawkeye's eyes, he started to calm down, "(sigh) ...It's about Destiny Islands. I think my brothers and sisters from the orphanage were arrested by the military. I found one of them, Tidus, at Xenotime. But he was wearing a Slave Crown. I don't want to believe what I heard...but, are you people responsible for what happened to them?"

Hawkeye calmly shook her head, "We weren't in charge of the department in Destiny Islands, so no Sora, we didn't do anything to them. But this is troubling to hear, you should let the colonel know, he's quite talented when it comes to learning secrets." Sora smiled, "Second Lieutenant...I'm glad to know I can trust you and my superior." The two shook hands, and Hawkeye opened the door, letting Sora into Mustang's Office.

As Sora stepped in, he saw Edward, who was ready to leave until he saw Sora enter. Ed asked, "What do you want, snitch?" Sora replied, "I don't know what your deal is with me, and right now, I don't care. Colonel, I need to tell you something." Mustang looked at Sora, "What is it kid?"

Sora sat on a couch and told his superior officer what his friend Tidus told him. He told him about how he found Tidus wearing the Slave Crown, and how he acted hostile towards Sora. And after he freed Tidus, he told Sora that the last thing he remembered was a group of soldiers ambushing him and a few others. As soon as he was done explaining, Sora had to ask, "So you see Colonel, after Tidus told me his story, my mind started filling up with questions. And so I had to come here and ask, were you aware of this?" Mustang replied, "I wasn't aware of this happening in Destiny Islands. But I might know who is."

Sora asked, "Who is it sir? If this person has the answer I need, then please tell me his name!"

Mustang answered, "He's the Brigadier General that was sent to Destiny Islands to investigate the attack from the Golems. The Iron Blood Alchemist, Basque Grand."

Just then, Hawkeye entered and announced, "Company sir!" when she was about to explain the situation, many soldiers went through the door and stood before Mustang. And in the middle of them, was a very tall man with dark skin, a sharp mustache, red eyes, a scar across his nose, and another on his chin. Sora, Ed, and Mustang then notice Maes Hughes waving at them in the line, "Hey there son, how's it going with the little guy over there?"

Ed's eye's popped open with anger, "WHAT DID YOU SAY?"

Mustang shook his head at Ed in disappointment, and proceeded into saluting the tall man, who spoke out, "Hmph, as 'respectful' as ever, aren't you Mustang? I have just arrived to announce that as of today, we will be taking over the Eastern HQ!" Mustang then asked, "May I ask what was wrong with the headquarters in Central sir?"

"HA HA HA HA HA, I know what your thinking Mustang, I asked Grand the same thing."

Sora then thought, _So, that tall guy is Basque Grand huh? WAIT A MINUTE! T-that voice earlier...i-it can't be!_ And then, Grand stood aside for another man with a mustache, this man wore an eye patch on his left eye, and he wore a long coat. The man waved at everyone, "Sorry for the hassle people, at ease."

Sora's eyes lit up in fascination at the man's voice and appearance, "I-it's you! Y-y-your THE fuhrer of the military, the greatest swordsman ever, your...King Bradley!"

End of Chapter 32

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**Next Chapter, An honorary party brings out new surprises when Sora and the Elric Brothers attend.**

**Please Comment.**


	33. Chapter 33

**Last time, Sora helped Tidus move into one of the apartments in East City. Once they were done, Tidus explained how he and the other orphans from Y. O. U. T. H. were captured. Apparently, he, Wakka, even Tina, the girl who motivated Sora into becoming a merciful hero, were captured by soldiers from the military. Shocked by Tidus's description, Sora rushed to East HQ to hear the truth from his supiriors...**

**While Sora was on his way, Edward Elric had just found out that Mustang knew about everything he and Al did on their adventures, like revealing Cornello's intentions to Lior, destroying Huskisson's castle, and even their encounter with the Tringum Brothers. And after all that, they were nowhere near their goal, finding the Philosopher Stone.**

**When Sora came to East HQ, he asked Mustang if he was involved with Destiny Islands and the kidnappings of his friends from the orphanage, Mustang told him that he was not, but he knew someone who might be, the Brigadier General, the Iron Blood Alchemist, Basc Grand.**

**Suddenly, Grand and his troops arrived before Mustang, telling him that he will be taking over the Eastern HQ. When Mustang asked why, another soldier came in, telling him that he was asked the same question, and to Sora's surprise, that soldier was the fuhrer himself, the legendary King Bradley...**

**Warning: Kingdom Hearts and Fullmetal Alchemist are both licensed by Square-Enix. The secondary licenses for both franchises are Disney (Kingdom Hearts), Aniplex, Bones Inc., and Funimation (Fullmetal Alchemist). **

**PS: There will be spoilers.**

* * *

Fullmetal Kingdom: The Fanfic

Chapter 33: Party Time!

Sora's eyes were filled with tears as he saw King Bradley, standing with a goofy expression while waving at his subordinates. And as soon as Mustang was about to shake his superior's hand, Sora darted towards the hand and shook it like crazy, "Mr. Bradley, it's an honor to meet you SIR! You're my hero, SIR! Only a blessed few could imagine meeting you SIR! The greatest swordsman in the military, the mind behind the muscle of the military, it's a honor to shake your hand SIR!"

As Sora lets go of the fuhrer's hand and salutes him, Bradley looks at Mustang and asks, "Mustang, is this one of yours?" Mustang replied, "I'm sorry sir, I should have told you. This is the bodyguard from Y. O. U. T. H. we picked for protecting the Fullmetal Alchemist." Ed commented, "Not that I needed the protection." Just then, he noticed a woman standing next to the fuhrer, presumably, his secretary. But Ed couldn't help but look at her, she seemed so familiar...

Bradley smiled and looked at Sora, "Ah, of coarse! You must be very excited to meet a higher-up officer..." Sora noticed that the fuhrer wanted to know who he was, so he introduced himself, "Uh, um, Fuhrer King Bradley Sir, I am number 516. I specialize in protection, defense, and if necessary, incapacitation of an opponent."

Bradley nodded with an impressed look, then Hawkeye continued, "His official name is Sora. To keep him in our service, we enlisted him with one of our officers, Maes Hughes." Hughes then came next to Sora, "He's been a good kid, and unlike most of the orphans from Y. O. U. T. H., Sora is very aware of his emotions." Sora looked away, embarrassed at his foster father.

Bradley smiled, "Is that a fact? Well Sora, it's rare for a Y. O. U. T. H. assassin to show signs of emotion." Sora shook his head, "Actually sir, we all have just enough emotion to care for others. Despite the handicap of this 'need to kill', we could, at times, choose not to take a life. I was a...bit of a black sheep, but I stayed with them long enough to know they had a heart."

"Your just trying to cover for them."

Everyone in the room turned towards the one who spoke, Basc Grand. Grand continued, "Y. O. U. T. H. operatives NEED to kill, they can't be taught to love, care, or show any emotional weaknesses. You think they would be aloud to even play a game of catch? The instant you give them that ball to play, it becomes a weapon. A failure like you would never except the fact that your so-called friends are nothing to the world. Nothing...but a knife that will twist through the flesh when given the order."

Sora was outraged, "Your the one who doesn't understand! You act like you've been with them and trained them! But what do you know? Nothing, that's-!" Before Sora could continue, Grand punches Sora to the ground and pushes him down with his foot! Ed walks towards Grand to try and stop him, but Mustang grabs Ed by the shoulder and shook his head, indicating that Ed couldn't interfere.

Grand then said to Sora, "You think you're special? You're strings are still attached, boy. You belong to us, your mind, your soul, your own blade, they aren't yours to use...they are ours. THAT is what you are, a Y. O. U. T. H. assassin that takes life, nothing more. Do you understand? **You're just a stupid brat we found on the streets with no reason to stay alive.**"

Sora then started getting up, to the brigadier general's surprise, so he pressed harder on Sora's back, but Sora was still getting up. And then Bradley said to Grand, "Brigadier General, that will be enough! Release the boy or I'll strip you of your ranks!" Grand gave a confused look at his superior, and then he saw everyone looking at him with faces filled with disgust. So he frowned at Sora and took his foot off of him. Ed helped Sora up, then Grand said to everyone, "You all know it's true...stop acting like he's human! He's just a knife."

And then Grand left the room, followed by the other soldiers. Ed then looked at Sora and asked, "Next time, remember who your talking to! That guy is a soldier, not one of your everyday muscle-headed thug!" Sora shook his head, "A knife? This is the guy I'm supposed to talk to about my friends, and he thinks of us as nothing more than knives? I won't let him get away, HE'LL TELL ME WHAT I WANT WEATHER HE LIKES IT OR-!" Hughes then stood in front of Sora and said, "Sora, you've had two weeks of work, I think this is a good time for you to relax. If you chase after Grand, then your letting him win. He'll arrest you and throw you into prison."

Sora's eyes started to fill with tears, he knew the orphans, and he grew with them ever since he was brought in, "He's...he's wrong...their my..." So Hughes patted Sora on the shoulder, "(ahem) Besides, that guy's a jerk! You shouldn't let him get to you." Bradley stepped forward and said, "Hughes is right Sora, you have shown great potential when you stood up to him. With someone like you looking after the Fullmetal and the other soldiers, I am confident that you will have a wonderful future. Who knows? Maybe you'll raise your ranks up to being my second in command someday (chuckles)."

The fuhrer then shakes Sora's hand and smiles, "Until we meet again my friend."

As Bradley stepped out, Sora wiped the tears from his eyes. Hughes then patted Sora on the back, "So, why don't you let yer pa here buy you a meal?" Sora replied, "Y-yeah, sure. Thanks dad." Sora then turned towards Ed and Mustang, "Colonel sir, I'm sorry for my actions. And Ed, I'll see you later."

Mustang replied, "Take it easy kid." And when Sora and Hughes left the office, Ed said to Mustang, "Well that was a bit surprising, I thought Sora was just a happy-go-lucky defect, but after seeing him get THAT angry..." Mustang replied, "He just needs to cool his head, Ed. Besides, you were once like him yourself." Ed raised his brow in confusion, "Your putting me in the same boat as him? Come on, what makes him like me?"

Mustang explained, "Well for starters, he cares about the people around him, like how you care about your little brother and the Rockbells." Ed looked away in embarrassment, "He's just too overprotective, that's all!" Mustang then pointed out, "Second, you two have feelings for different girls that you don't want to admit."

Ed was a bit startled, "Wait, he has a girl he likes?" Mustang looked away, "I'm surprised you didn't know. Then again, he doesn't really open up to anyone about his past. Maybe it's because he can't remember." Ed asked, "So what, he's got a case of amnesia or something?"

Mustang ignored the question and continued, "And third, when someone you love is in danger, and if someone teases you for it, the two of you would let your emotions out. Honestly, a regular Y. O. U. T. H. assassin would've killed you the minute you got in their way, but I'm thankful that Sora was a defect. Because he knew killing you wouldn't solve anything. He knows you, and most of the people around him." Ed replied, "Yeah, he's a good guy...and I guess he does help me out when I need him the most."

Ed then said, "I'm going out to look for him. Something tells me that a burger isn't going to be enough to help him get over Grand's insults." Mustang then gave Ed an envelop, "By the way, the fuhrer wanted to give you and Sora this." Ed took the envelop and opened it, inside, there were five tickets. Ed asked, "Tickets? What are we going to need these for?" Hawkeye explained while getting another ticket out, "The tickets are for a party hosted by the fuhrer to honor one of our most intelligent minds. Every soldier and State Alchemist has one of these."

Mustang continued explaining, "The tickets inside are for you, Alphonse, Sora, and maybe the Genomes." Ed responded, "You mean the duck and the dog? I don't know, they might mess up the party." Hawkeye commented, "Don't worry, they'll behave. At least the dog will."

Ed put the tickets in his pocket and made his way out, but right as he was about to leave, he asked, "Colonel, one question. There was a doctor who passed by Xenotime named Marcoh, who had a unique form of alchemy. It glows red light and heals any sickness or injury. Have you ever met him before?" Mustang replied, "...the name is unfamiliar to me, but I'll look into it."

Just then, Goofy barged in, "SIR, THERE'S A STRANGE MUSTACHED FELLER APPROACHING THIS WAY!" Mustang asked, "Was he accompanied by a bunch of soldiers and a woman?" Goofy nodded, "Y-yes sir, but how'd ya know?" Mustang replied, "Because they already came by."

...

Back outside, Maes Hughes takes Sora over for a meal at one of East City's best fast food joints. As they find a seat, Maes Hughes orders two burgers and a side of Raspberry Potions. Meanwhile, Sora thought to himself, _Basc Grand...he's the one I have to ask about Destiny Islands? A guy like him wouldn't care about taking in prisoners, he's more inclined to pulling the trigger on an innocent._

"Look, can you believe how big Elisia is?" Hughes said as he pulls out a photo of his daughter.

Sora asked, "So she's...learning how to ride a bike?" Hughes nodded and said, "Yep, she follows me everywhere on that thing, like my own escort of cuteness (kisses the photo)!" Sora looks away, with a sickened look and thought, _This...THIS is my new dad? I swear, sometimes I feel like eating my own foot than listening to another word about-!_ "Hey, I got more, you wanna see?" Hughes asked. Sora shook his head, "No thanks, dad."

Hughes then said, "By the way, your not a knife."

Sora looked up at Hughes, who continued, "Granted, a knife can be a harmful weapon in the hands of a crazed criminal, but that's not what you are." Sora looked down and said, "But he's right dad, I'm one of them, I'm one of the Y. O. U. T. H. assassins, we're always obedient and we never refuse an order. Even if that order requires us to crawl on all fours and bark like animals." Hughes then asked, "Let me ask you something, do you think of your friends like that at all?"

Sora looked at Hughes and answered, "Of coarse not! But-." Hughes interrupted, "Then why are you so worked up? You know their good because you lived with them for a long time, don't let someone's bad opinion get to you! Remember, what's important is what YOU believe in. Do you believe in your friends?" Sora replied, "...more than anything in the world." Hughes patted Sora on the shoulder, "Keep believing in them Sora, and don't forget who your real friends are." As their meal arrived, Sora drank his potion and thought, _Dad...thanks for telling me that._

Hughes then brought up something, "By the way, Sora, I forgot to tell you something! I was recently given a new position. They got ME in charge of court martial investigations!" Just then, as Hughes pointed at his new badge indicating his new rank, Ed walked over and replied, "Sounds fun beyond belief."

Sora notices Ed and asks, "Hey Ed, you here for some milk shakes? I hear milk can make you **taller**." Ed gave Sora a prune-faced look and said, "**YOU THINK YER SOOOOOOOOOOOO FUNNY, DON'T YOU?**" Sora replied, "...maybe. Anyway, I'm being honest with you Ed, you should have some milk, why not drink some? It's fresh from the cow's-."

"**MILK IS DISGUSTING YOU IDIOT! STUFF LIKE THAT ISN'T NATURAL TO DRINK!**"

Sora and Hughes look at each other with freaked out expressions and thought, _Geez, what's wrong with this kid?_ Ed shook off his anger issue and gave Sora three tickets, "Anyway, take these!" Sora asked, "Tickets...for a party at Eastern HQ? What's the occasion?" Ed replied, "I don't know, it's to honor some wise guy or something. You can have one of the tickets and give the other two to the duck and the dog."

As Ed left, Sora looked at the ticket and thought, _This is a party for the military, but aren't parties like these meant for adults? The Elrics and I are barely eligible for this, so why..._ Hughes then said, "What's up kiddo? Haven't you been to a party before?" Sora replied, "I-it's not that, it's just, well, stuff like this isn't really something children should be going to. I mean, most of the soldiers are about 17 and older, I'd feel a bit out of place."

Hughes then said, "Hey, don't worry about it, these parties are OK to go to. Heck Ed's been going to these parties with me and Roy ever since he joined the military, it's allot of fun to! You get to meet celebrities, and usually, the guy or gal that we honor in these parties is actually either a genius that created an unbelievable creation, or an alchemist who succeeded in transmuting something that was never accomplished before!"

Sora was intrigued by Hughes's explanation, so he asked, "Do any of those alchemists know a thing or two about Human Transmutation?" Hughes replied, "Nope, they just made a few alchemic successions with lightning, plant-life, and they even controlled the air around them." Hughes then stood up and said, "But tonight, the guy we're going to honor is one of the greatest scientists of our time." Sora asked, "Really? Is he as smart as Ed and the colonel?" Hughes replied, "Well...smarter than Ed at least. You'll have to wait and see for yourself tonight!"

That night, Hughes and Sora arrived at East HQ and entered a large conference room where many soldiers and State Alchemists were greeting one another, drinking fresh punch, and feasting on delicious meals. Hughes then whispered to Sora, "I'm gonna go bug Roy. You go spend some time with Ed. The way he sulks is a big dead giveaway of how much he needs a friend." As Hughes walks off, Sora tries to look for Ed, but to no avail.

"WHO'RE YA CALL'N A MAGGOT SIZED INSECT OF A SHORTYYYYYYYY?"

Sora smiled as he recognized the voice and ran right for it. There, sitting near a dining table, was Ed, who was having an argument with Donald Duck while Alphonse and Goofy tried to calm them down. Donald and Ed kept calling each other names and pointing out their sizes until Sora came over and waved, "Hey guys, how's the party going?

They both turned away and said, "**I was having fun until THIS bean-sized jerk came and-WHAT WAS THAT?**!"

Sora, Goofy, and Alphonse laughed as the two tiny heroes were staring at each other with angry eyes. Just then, King Bradley approached the stage and said into the microphone, "Ladies and Gentlemen, welcome again to the Honoring Ceremony. Tonight's guest is a fellow who came to us from Drachma, a young man who believed in protecting the weak and powerless from the deadly forces of his country. He has created countless weapons of unimaginable power and is said to be the only alchemist from Drachma. He is a benefit to us as much as you all were when you first came to the military."

And then, a young man, in his early thirties, came out of the curtain and stood next to King Bradley. He had tanned skin, gold eyes, white hair, and wore a lab coat over his black suit. Ed then asked himself, "Is that...an Ishbalin?"

King Bradley continued introducing the young man, "Soldiers...state alchemists...generals and leaders of all ranks...allow me to introduce to alchemist of the century...Mr. Terranzis Xehanort!"

End of Chapter 33

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**Next Chapter, Xehanort reveals his startling alchemic skills.**

**Please Comment.**


	34. Chapter 34

**Last time, Sora was face to face with his hero, King Bradley, the fuhrer of the military, who was also known as the greatest swordsman in the entire country of Amestris. But the young Keybearer also encountered Basc Grand, the Iron Blood Alchemist, who Sora believes to be connected to the disappearances of his friends from Y. O. U. T. H. Grand insulted Sora, telling him that he was supposed to be an assassin, and nothing more, the Iron Blood even went so far as to beat Sora down and call him a "knife", reminding him that he was just a tool and not a real human being.**

** Frustration crossed through Sora's mind, even when he went out to lunch with his foster father, Hughes, who told him that despite what Grand said, Sora shouldn't think of his friends the same way. Hughes gave hope to Sora's aching heart, telling him that Sora spent enough time with the assassins to know that they are still living people, and not weapons. After the heart to heart, Edward came over and gave a ticket to Sora, and two other tickets for the two Genomes, Donald and Goofy. The tickets were for a party, honoring a young genius.  
**

**That evening, the party was filled with soldiers and scientists, all waiting to congratulate the honorary genius. And then, King Bradley arrived and revealed the man they were honoring...a young man named Terranzis Xehanort!**

**Warning: Kingdom Hearts and Fullmetal Alchemist are both licensed by Square-Enix. The secondary licenses for both franchises are Disney (Kingdom Hearts), Aniplex, Bones Inc., and Funimation (Fullmetal Alchemist). **

**PS: There will be spoilers.**

* * *

Fullmetal Kingdom: The Fanfic

Chapter 34: The Gifted Xehanort

After introducing Xehanort, Bradley shook his hand and gave him his honorary award, a trophy with the appearance of a light-gold crown with white wings with red tips. And on the headpiece of the crown was a ruby with the fuhrer's emblem on it.

Xehanort smiled and looked around at all the people clapping and cheering him, then he raised his trophy up and waved at everyone. Ed shook his head, "Tch, show off." Goofy was curious, so he asked, "Gwarsh, this Zay-he-nort must be a pretty good alchemist to impress all these people. What did he do that was so special anyway?" Ed replied, "He's an alchemist, Goofy. And like the rest of us alchemists, he's found a gift. Each alchemist has talents in different fields like fire, water, earth, you name it."

"Thank you, all of you." Xehanort said as he spoke into the microphone, "It is a true honor to be present here before all of you heroic, honest, and brave soldiers of the state. You see, I have never had so many people praise at once. And believe me...it won't be the last. I mean, look at all the work I did for you people, honestly, it's about damn time! Looking back at what I made for all of you, who wouldn't agree? Certainly not mister...big man Basc Grand over there."

As Grand looked away while the crowd laughed in humor, Sora asked, "So Ed, do you know what he made for the military?" Ed replied, "Well, I don't know allot about his work, but I did here a bit of info about a few of them. Like the Lie Detector, a machine that could tell the difference between the truth and the lie. And then there was a cure for the Mercury Virus, the 'Mother's Kiss' or what medical experts would rather call, the Soft. He even made something that could take you up and down a building in seconds! It was called...uh..."

Al helped Ed with his explanation and said, "The Elevator, brother. So you see Sora, Terranzis Xehanort made all kinds of inventions, he's a creative genius." Sora asked, "So he's an inventor? I don't get it, if he's an alchemist, what's his profession?"

"'What's his profession', what are you, new or stupid?"

Sora turned around and saw a rough faced man standing right next to him. He wore an eye patch over his left eye socket and had a scar on his left cheek. He walked over to Sora and the Elrics with a smug look and said, "Hmm, yeah, I can tell you're new here, spiky. It's kinda surprising that you wouldn't know, I mean, Xehanort's abilities are legendary!"

The rough faced man then blinked in realization at Sora and asked, "Wait a minute, your...that kid from the Y. O. U. T. H. Orphanage, Sora, right?" Sora replied, "Well, yeah, I was picked to look after the Elric Brothers. So, who are you and how do you know me?" The rough faced man shook Sora's hand, "The name's Braig. I'm also a bodyguard you know, Xehanort's bodyguard."

"Really? Thats...pretty cool. So, Xehanort's alchemy, did it...have anything to do with your injuries?" Sora asked, Braig replied, "As if. The scar was given, and the eye was taken, by a loser who just got lucky. Funny thing about his weapon, it looked almost like a key. The blade didn't look much like a sword, but it sure as hell was sharp enough to do that to my pride and joy."

Sora responded, "A blade...shaped like a key?" Braig nodded, "Yep, if it wasn't for that damn weapon, I'd..."

Donald then asked, "'Excuse me, but weren't you going to tell us about Xehanort's alchemy?" Braig looked at Donald, "Holy-...heh, I forgot, you guys have talking animals. Well, 'beaker' over here has a point, I was going to tell you, wasn't I? Well you see- …...never mind, looks like he's going to do it."

Just then, on the stage, a cage was brought up alongside Xehanort by two men in lab coats. Inside it, was a man ranting and reaching out, As most of the soldiers and state alchemists watched in confusion, Sora asked, "Why's that man in a cage?" Xehanort replied, "As you can all see, this is a man accused of homicide and murder. This...is a criminal from your prison! I know many of you are questioning the reason for this man's appearance. Well let me show you!"

"Open the cage!"

Everyone was shocked to hear Xehanort's words, and thus, they pulled out their guns and weapons. And like them, Sora pulled out his Avenger and prepared for when the criminal would be released.

Braig looked in fascination at Sora's weapon, his Keyblade. But as Braig stared at the weapon, the cage was opened, and the prisoner jumped out, hissing and growling. The insane man was about to lunge out at the public, but then Xehanort called out, "Hey! Over here you wretched abomination! That's right, I'm talking to you, my brokenhearted friend!"

The criminal started walking towards Xehanort as he continued speaking, "Your mind is shackled by pain and loss. Shattered by the betrayal of those you loved and those you believed in." The criminal then ran right at Xehanort with killer intent!

Sora stood up to try and stop the mad man, but Braig grabbed Sora by the wrist, "Hold it!" Sora asked, "Your going to let him die?" Braig replied, "Xehanort, die? As if. Just sit back and watch the show."

Xehanort kept jumping out of the way, taunting the mindless maniac, until he finally grabbed the white-haired alchemist! And just before the insane prisoner could strangle him, Xehanort clapped his hands and pressed his hands onto the man's chest...

_**Oh broken man of a broken heart, let your heart be HEALED!**_

Sora's eyes widened as he heard Xehanort's voice, "That tone...that voice...IT'S HIM!"

And then, a violet lightning emerged from Xehanort's hands and started to spread around the room. The crowd was fearful of the lightning, but to their amazement, when it touched them, it had no effect, however, on the prisoner, it was a different story. The crazed man was screaming in agony and turmoil, and everyone watched in fear as Xehanort's alchemy tortured the man.

After a few moments, the lightning dispersed, leaving everyone quite confused about what just transpired during the transmutation.

Everyone looked at Xehanort, who had just released the criminal. The criminal calmly turned towards the crowd and said, "...hello, my name is Ernest. I am a former barber of Eastern City. But I made a horrible mistake by hurting one of my patients. Will you ever forgive me?" Xehanort approached the strangely sane criminal and replied, "Aww, who wouldn't forgive such a good man?"

Xehanort hugged and shook the man's hand, he then turned towards the crowd and said, "I'm sure most of you are curious as to what happened, well let me put your worries to rest. This man, who was prepped for the chair...has been given a second chance to walk with his fellow man. This man...is but one of the inmates that I cured with my talents. Alchemy has provided us with many things, cures for the most rash of illnesses, control over the elements of earth and fire, and often times, creation of the most powerful armies in the world. Ladies and Gentlemen, I give you the next evolution of alchemy, MANIPULATION!"

A few soldiers and alchemists started to clap with fascination. As they clapped, Xehanort continued to explain, "My gift of manipulation can not only save the life and soul of this poor man here, but it can also save prisoners from other parts of Amestris! It can change a serial killer into a judge, it could give a thief the opportunity to give hope instead of take it. With alchemy at my side, I promise to you, the military, NO, the entire country of Amestris, that I, Terranzis Xehanort, will give back to the people their friends and family, who were once stricken with madness. I will return them to you as the way you remembered them, as loving and caring citizens of civilized culture!"

Mustang stood from his seat and asked, "Is this really necessary? Our prisons often try and teach our prisoners how to return to civilization. What your doing is forcing the prisoners to change. In a way, you've just brainwashed that man."

Grand then pointed out, "Afraid of change, colonel? You forgot to mention the long hours and years it would naturally take for a twisted human being to rejoin the work circuit. The way I see it, Xehanort is really saving us time and money we could be using to defend ourselves. I'd say, everyone, that this IS necessary, wouldn't you agree?"

As most of the crowd started to ponder and agree with Grand, Ed then noticed Sora's expression and asked, "Your bug eyes just got buggier Sora, what's going on?" Sora looked at Ed and replied, "The guy I told you about in Lior, the one who spoke in my mind and moved through shadows like a Golem, that's him Ed, Xehanort is the same man who I met in Lior!"

Afer a few minutes, the party went on with everyone surrounding Xehanort and congratulating him. Meanwhile, Sora was picking out some carrots and sweetened bread from the food court. He kept thinking to himself about what Xehanort did to the criminal, who was now enjoying a salad.

Ed had just finished picking out what he wanted to eat, when he bumped into the men in the lab coats. Ed apologized, but the one with long blond hair said, "Hmph, parasite!" Ed, thinking that the long-haired man was talking about his size, was about to throw a piece of pie at him, when Hughes suddenly grabbed it and took a bite out of it, "Mmmm, cheesecake with strawberry, my favorite! Thanks Ed!"

Hughes then looked around at everyone, and no one was paying attention to them. Smiling, Hughes brought Ed over to a table and whispered, "So Ed, how's the search going for the...you-know-what stone?"

Ed answered, "W-well, we're close, or I'd like to think that I am. Right now, I'm looking for a guy named Marcoh, who might have the answers I'm looking for. I already asked Mustang about him, but he's not telling me anything." Hughes then asked, "Well have you considered the fact that he might not know anything?" Ed shook his head, "No, Mustang knows something about Marcoh, I can tell-!"

"Did I just hear you say the name 'Marcoh', Fullmetal?"

Hughes and Ed noticed Grand standing right next to them with crossed arms and a look of annoyance. Ed then asked, "Well, if it ain't the Iron-Blood Alchemist himself. What do you want? We we're just having a conversation." Grand replied, "...What do YOU want with Marcoh? Do you need another lackey to carry your bags? You could just use the 'knife' over there to do your dirty work. Marcoh's usefulness ended the day he became a filthy deserter. 6 years ago, a brigade was called upon to neutralize an eastern rebellion and Marcoh was in their ranks, but he went AWOL before the battle was done, the coward's been missing ever since."

"But he has been a very beneficial man. I owe my life's work to that man and his achievements." Ed, Hughes, and Grand then saw the long haired blond man approach them. He smiled as he drank a small glass of punch, "So, the pipsqueak I bumped into is the Fullmetal Alchemist. I do hope you can forgive my rudeness for when you bumped into me, I can be so careless sometimes."

"Ed asked, "Weren't you the one that bumped into me? And-WHO ARE YOU CALLING A PIPSQUEAK?" The blond man laughed and said, "Well, forgive my rudeness again, I forgot to introduce myself. I am Even, one of Xehanort's partners in his research of the heart." Ed was confused, "Research...of the Heart?" Even explained, "Yes indeed, Xehanort, and I are researching the truths and mysteries surrounding the heart."

Ed then asked, "You mean like how it's an organ that keeps you alive?" Even replied, "I assure you, the heart is more than just an organ." Ed replied, "Oh, of coarse it is. The heart supports the flow of blood in your body AND, best part, it beats, signifying the heart's success at keeping what little life we have left." Even slammed his fist on the table, "I said, it's not just an organ! It keeps love, passion, and memories locked within!"

Ed replied, "Aren't memories locked within the brain? Hmph, I don't know who you're teacher was in kindergarten, but there aren't any secrets locked in a heart, it's just there to keep the body alive." Even staggered, "I-IT'S MORE THAN THAT YOU IDIOT!" Ed asked, "Really? Then what is it? Is it a fountain of youth? Is it a 'magical' sword that makes you king? Or could it be a pathway to the Holy Grail? If your so smart, why do you sound so kid-friendly?"

Even was just about ready to burst with anger, but then, another young man in a lab coat with grey hair covering part of his face approached Even from behind and said to Edward, "I may have the answer to your question, sir." Ed asked, "Well, thanks. So who are you?"

The young man sat down at the table and replied, "Ienzo, one of Xehanort's fellow scientists. As you said Mr. Elric, the heart is just an organ that keeps us alive until we hit 87, or if possible, 98. But do you know why the heart beats in the first place? The beat slows down when the heart is calm, this gives the brain plenty of time to re-think it's options, and when the heart is beating rapidly, it is due to excitement, adrenaline, sometimes what you would call anger. I'm sure you know the feeling when someone criticizes your height."

Ed was annoyed by Ienzo, "Yeah...that's something I can understand QUITE well." Ienzo continued explaining, "Well, the heart is actually the key to a human's emotion. Xehanort has been researching for months on how to control the emotions of an irrational heart. And so far, our research seems to have made extraordinary progress."

Ed couldn't help but feel almost...alarmed by Ienzo and his friend Xehanort, he knew the price of a cocky attitude and alchemy.

As Edward and Ienzo were talking, Grand made his leave for the night, but not before looking at Sora and saying to himself, "That knife has no right to have emotion."

After choosing the delicacies for his dinner, Sora was going to sit besides his friends when he was suddenly grabbed by the shoulder by Braig. Sora asks, "Uh...Braig right? Did you want to try some fish?" Braig replied, "As if! Look kid, I saw the weapon in your hand, it was a Keyblade, wasn't it?"

Before Sora could answer, Xehanort tapped Braig on the shoulder, "I do hope I'm not intruding in anything important, but Sora, I was hoping to meet with you. Your fellow soldiers were so much fun to speak with, that I wanted to meet the assassin that became a shield." Sora replied, "Alright then, let's talk...about why you were in Lior."

_**...such a clever little boy.**_

End of Chapter 34

* * *

**Next Chapter, Xehanort reveals his intentions while a surprise guest makes his explosive entrance...**

**Please Comment.**


	35. Chapter 35

**Last time, The honored genius was revealed to be an Ishbalin named Terranzis Xehanort. He was honored for his breakthrough in Heart Manipulation, and alchemic ability that allowed him to restore the sanity in a person's heart and mind. **

**During the party, Edward was confronted by Grand, who heard that Edward was looking for Tim Marcoh, whom he claimed to be a 'filthy deserter' who abandoned the military because of his cowardice. Just then, two of Xehanort's assistants, Even and Ienzo, came over and explained to Ed about Xehanort's research. They explained how the heart is not only an organ that keeps a person alive, but it is the center of emotion that triggers the actions of humans.**

**During Xehanort's demonstration, Sora recognized his voice as the strange hooded man he encountered in Lior. And as Xehanort wanted to know the assassin turned defender, Sora revealed to him that he has found out his true identity...**

**Warning: Kingdom Hearts and Fullmetal Alchemist are both licensed by Square-Enix. The secondary licenses for both franchises are Disney (Kingdom Hearts), Aniplex, Bones Inc., and Funimation (Fullmetal Alchemist). **

**PS: There will be spoilers.**

* * *

Fullmetal Kingdom: The Fanfic

Chapter 35: Bald's Revenge

Xehanort and Sora walked outside in the balcony to talk. And as Xehanort took a sip of wine, Sora asked, "So what are you up to? Don't tell me you were sight seeing in Lior." Xehanort replied, _**As I said to you before, I came to see the door**_. Sora asked, "What door? You sound like it's a big deal, but all your saying is gibberish!"

Xehanort looked at Sora and said, _**It is gibberish to you because you fail to understand.**_ Sora started to get irritated, "UNDERSTAND WHAT? That your just a cracked nut trying to brainwash people?" Xehanort shook his head and spoke in his human voice, "What you call 'brainwashing' is what I call purifying. Oh, by the way, sorry for spooking you our with my other voice in Lior. I am trying to disguise my voice for deception. Heh, you know how many enemies we have here in Amestris, right?"

After Sora slowly nodded, Xehanort looked at the man he cured and said, "Do you see that man over there? The one I changed for the better? He was on death row, waiting for the switch to be flipped. His heart was in pain, so I soothed that pain with what alchemy I was blessed with. How could I cause pain when I just saved a life? Sora, I came to Lior to study the corruption that Father Cornello made. Seeing you, I merely thought of you as a violent prisoner, but seeing you now has given me hope for my research. I now believe that despite the harsh outer form of the human body, there can be an inner peace as well."

Sora was surprised to hear Xehanort praise him, so he replied, "OK...well, thank you, I guess." As Xehanort took a sip from his glass, Sora asked, "So, your an Ishbalin...from Drachma?" Xehanort replied, "...half Ishbalin actually. I was born from an unusual family, I am Ishbalin on my mother's side, and my father, well, he's the other side. My father was a brilliant war hero who sought to bring true peace to Drachma, but he was prosecuted for his beliefs, and was stripped of his title."

Sora rubbed the back of his head and said, "...You went through allot, huh?" Xehanort stared into his glass and replied, "Indeed, ever since that day, I vowed to restore my father's honor by using my alchemy to change the world forever, for the best. But my alchemy is nowhere near the level of REAL alchemists like your friend, the Fullmetal. The door that I'm looking for is located here, in Amestris, but it isn't something you can simply just find in a house, Sora, it is...a gateway representing this world. Or at least, that's what I heard my master say."

Sora asked, "A gate...representing our world? What kind of door is that?" Xehanort replied, "Well the gate is rumored to be a way of improving our alchemy. They say the instant you see that doorway, you will be granted an improved form of alchemy. If I can see this door, than my alchemy can restore my family's honor! However, they also say that the improvement comes with a price..." Xehanort then turned his attention to Edward while he was talking with Ienzo and Even.

_**The price is...a piece of ourselves.**_

Sora understood what Xehanort meant, _He meant...Human Transmutation!_ Xehanort walked to Sora and patted him on the shoulder, "If your interested, maybe you should ask the young man over there, Edward Elric, right? He looks like he's seen his fair share of Hell. It's an interesting fact that the eyes of those who saw the gate have eyes riddled with tragedy and regret."

Xehanort then said, "It's almost time for us to leave, I'd better find Braig before he gets into another fight. I enjoyed our conversation Sora, I hope it won't be the last." Xehanort extended his hand to Sora, so he smiled and replied, "Yeah, it was nice to meet you Mr. Xehanort, and maybe your dream of a peaceful country might come true someday, and hopefully, alchemy won't be needed for that." Xehanort replied, "Heh, we can only hope right?"

Sora gladly shook Xehanort's hand, but as he did, he felt a slight sting in his hand. Xehanort then bowed to Sora and said, "Sora, be careful. Out there, the enemy can be unpredictable."

As Sora examined his hand, Xehanort tapped Ienzo's shoulder, letting him know it was time to leave. Ienzo nodded and told Even it was time to leave. Ienzo waved at Ed and Hughes as he and an angered Even left the table. Then Ienzo waved at Braig and pointed to the exit. Braig nodded and told two other guards dressed like him that it was time to leave.

Sora then sat with Ed and Hughes and said, "The party hasn't even ended and they decided to leave? What's the rush?" Ed replied, "Eh, might have forgotten to feed their 'egos' back home." Sora curiously asked, "What's got you tied in a knot? You had a fight with them or something?" Hughes replied, "More or less, Ed was having a field day with the long-haired one, then the one with funny hair told us about how Xehanort knew how to fix that psycho's anger issues."

Ed continued, "They were researching the emotions of the heart, or something like it. It's still weird, what they did to that guy was unnatural, even if he was a criminal." Sora nodded, "Well, it is unnatural, but if you think about it in their way, it's like their saving those people from becoming sickos like Cornello, Mugear, and even the Gollems."

Ed looked Sora in the eyes and said, "Messing with the minds and feelings of other people isn't something I'd call saving, it's more like controlling their lives forever! It's sick to think of Sora, just listening to how calm those people were when they just scrambled that guy's head, it's just as unsettling to hear as knowing how you became an orphan!"

Sora then said, "I didn't choose to loose my family! My family..." Sora paused for a moment and said, "I...I don't remember my family. I ONLY REMEMBERED HOW I WAS FOUND IN THE STREETS WITH BLOOD ON MY FACE!"

Ed and Hughes were disturbed by what Sora said, and so was every person in the party, so Ed said, "S-sorry about that. I shouldn't have brought it up." Sora replied, "Stop it, you don't need to do anything. I was the one who yelled during a party."

"**So, this is the kid who decided to become the brat's shield. I gotta say Edward Elric, you sure know how to choose'em, don't you?**"

(KABLAAAAAAAAAMMMMM!)

And just like that, an explosion came from the wall with a balcony, and surprised everyone! Alphonse, as he was talking with Hawkeye, ran with her and Mustang to Sora and Edward's side. Donald and Goofy also ran to the heroes side, pulling out their weapons. As the smoke covered the area, the voice was heard again, "HA HA HAAA! It's been a long time Mustang! I still remember the time you lit me like a friggin' candle! Ever since that day, I remembered you telling me to remember, you said 'remember the pain', well I remember it alright, and ever since then, I've been waiting for the chance to see you squirm!"

The smoke began to clear, and to everyone's surprise, the man who was speaking to them was floating up high in mid-air. The man wore an eye patch on his right eye, had long hair tied in a beehive hair due, had a rugged beard, and wore prison garments with a black cape, and while his right arm was shown, his left arm seemed to be hidden underneath his cape.

The man continued speaking, "This'll be a day to remember. A day that the Eastern Liberation Front could look back on with pride, the day that their most tactically experienced general, Bald, defeated the military! HA HA HA HAAAAAAAA!" Everyone then looked at each other and said...

"Who's the bum?"

Bald staggered for a bit and yelled out, "Uh? HEY YOU IDIOTS, IT'S ME, THE GUY WHO KIDNAPPED THE GENERAL!" Everyone then asked, "Which general? We've had it happen so many times." Bald staggered again, "GRRRRR, I held General Haruko hostage on that train two years ago! That was when the little brat over there became a legend! I was his first enemy!"

"Actually, my first enemy was a sicko form a small town who was obsessed with bringing his crush back to life by killing chicks and controlling dolls. He was a real nut case." Ed said out loud, Bald shook his right fist at Ed and said, "GODDAMMIT, I WAS THE REASON THE MILITARY WAS IMPRESSED WITH YOU!"

Sora asked Mustang, "Colonel, is this guy an old enemy of yours?" Mustang replied, "Could be, I had allot of enemies when I started off, so maybe this guy's one of them." Bald then said out loud, "YER DAMN RIGHT I'M ONE OF THEM!" Mustang shook his head, "But I don't know where I met this guy, he seems to know me, but I just...can't...OH, now I remember, hey how's it going?"

Bald got irritated and replied, "H-how's it going? You threw me into a jail cell, you ass! If it wasn't for you and the little guy over there (Ed: "WHO'RE YA CALLIN A SHORTY OF A SPUD THAT HAS YET TO PROPERLY GROW UP RIGHT?), I would've gotten my leader out in no time! But now, thanks to you two, I'm a disgrace to my own brigade!" Mustang chuckled to himself and said, "If you came all this way for a rematch, then your just as disgraceful as you were when we first met." Bald finally had enough of Mustang's cool attitude, "We'll see about that!"

And then, Hawkeye felt something wrap around her, she couldn't see it, but she felt something slimy grab her. And just like that, she was yanked from the ground, heading straight for Bald. Bald caught Hawkeye and laughed, "I remember the pain he gave me, but I also remember you standing next to him! So I guess that makes you his girlfriend, RIGHT MUSTANG? HA HA HAAAAAAAA!"

Sora yelled out, "Let her go!" he then proceeded to charging the floating felon, but Hawkeye said to him, "Sora, this man isn't the one who grabbed me, IT'S SOMETHING ELSE, SOMETHING YOU CAN'T SEE!" And in an instant, Sora felt something punch him hard! The bodyguard collided with a wall while Bald said, "HA, so much for national security! The kids your hiring aren't worth the dung under my feet these days!"

Everyone then asked, "You stepped in dung and you still have it on your shoe?"

Bald staggered again and said, "A-anyway, if you want to see her again Mustang, I suggest you release my leader! You have until tomorrow, any longer, and the chick dies!" Mustang nodded, "Alright, we know your demands, but where do you want to make the trade?" Bald replied, "Lets see, where's a good place to catch up on old times? ...Oh yeah, I have an idea, why don't we meet up where you burned me alive? I'm sure releasing my leader won't be a cakewalk, so I'll be patient and wait. See you around Mustang, oh, and if your little tykes follow us..."

Bald then throws off his cape to reveal his left arm, a dark, mechanical/organic, warty machine gun that was fit for a Golem. Then Bald used the new arm and shot a barrage of thorns at the other soldiers. And shockingly, the soldiers started to change into Golems! Bald then pointed his new mutant arm at Hawkeye and said, "If ANY of you follow us, I'll do the same to her!" And with that, Bald rode his invisible beast out of the building, leaving Sora, the Elrics, Mustang, Hughes, and the Genomes to deal with the Golems he created.

The Golems started to walk towards the heroes, reaching out to them. Ed then said, "Damn it! How are we going to save the second lieutenant with these things in our way!" Mustang replied, "We can't, not while that bastard has her." One of the Golems attack Sora, who was hesitant to attack. Ed then asked, "What are you doing? Those things'll kill you if you don't fight back!" Sora replied, "I-I can't, they used to be human! There has to be a way to change them back!"

One Golem grabbed Sora and was about to bite his shoulder, when Alphonse charges at it and threw it asisde. Al then said to Sora, "They aren't human any more, Sora! Bald turned them into Golems, they can't think for themselves anymore, all they can do is destroy whatever comes their way!"

"USE THE KEYBLADE, SORA!" Donald said to Sora.

Sora asked, "But my Avenger destroys Golems! Now that these people were turned into Golems, I'll end up killing the people stuck inside them!" Donald shook his head, "The Keyblade drives away evil spirits like the Golems, the people should be fine! Please Sora, you have to trust me on this!" Sora looked at his Avenger, unsure of what to do, but Alphonse said to him, "It might work! The Genomes do have a history with the Keyblade, so they could be right about it! Give it a shot, Sora." Sora replied, "...Alright, let's hope this works!"

Sora ran right for the first Golem, he prepares for a swing, but the other Golems grab his arms before he could attack! Sora tried to struggle free, but the Golems were too powerful. But just when the Golem Sora was going to attack, was about to take a bite out of the Keyblade Master, Goofy threw his shield at it, like it was a Frisbee, while Donald clapped his hands, grabbed a handful of punch from the punch bowl, and threw the punch on his wand, which started to bring out ruins that glowed blue...

"WATER, COME OUT!"

And just then, Donald's glowing staff shot out a large burst of water at one of the Golems that held Sora. Donald then yelled, "Sora, use the Keyblade on the one who still has you, quickly!" Sora quickly poked the Golem's eye, broke out of it's hold, and stabbed the creature with the Avenger! Sora could barely believe what he did, but Donald called out again, "What are you waiting for? Pull the Golem spirit out!"

Sora nodded at Donlad, then jerked the Avenger out of the Golem, and to his surprise, the Golem's skin was being pulled! So Sora pulled as hard as he could, and then, in an instant, he managed to pull the Golem skin off the soldier it was possessing!

The soldier regained consciousness and asked, "Uh? Hey colonel, what...just happened?" Mustange replied, "You were temporarily under the control of a Golem, Havoc. Now get everyone out of here! And whatever you do, don't shoot the Golems you encounter, they could be our own men under the control of the Golem skins!"

"Skins? They do have a name, you know. They're called the Neoshadow, personally, it's one of my favorites. They are Golems who take the appearance of humans just by pouncing on them. Of coarse, that means the Golems can use their prey as disguises and appear as anybody, which makes them even MORE deadly and unpredictable."

Sora and the Elrics recognized the voice instantly and turned around. They, along with Mustang, Donald, and Goofy saw a very tall muscular man with old fashioned clothing and a mask covering his entire face, except for his blue eyes. Sora and the Elrics then spoke the figure's name, "It's Crimson!" Crimson bows to them and commented, "How wonderful, despite this being our first meeting, face to face, I am joyful at how good your memories are. So, since we're already acquainted here, why don't we talk...about that fugitive?"

End of Chapter 35

* * *

**Next Chapter, Sora and the Elrics search for the first lieutenant while Mustang makes a harsh choice...**

**Please Comment.**


	36. Chapter 36

**Last time, During a honorary celebration dedicated to Terranzis Xehanort, Sora confronted the man himself about his business in Lior. Xehanort replied that he was simply there to observe the corruption in the Desert City. Xehanort intends to make the world a better place, and the key to his dreams of a brighter future lie within an ancient Gateway to the World, a doorway that is believed to possess incredible power, power that can increase an alchemist's powers ten fold. But to obtain this power, the alchemist would have to perform Human Transmutation...on themselves.**

**Xehanort and Sora shook hands and parted ways, but strangely, the Keybearer felt something on his hand...**

**Suddenly, the party was crashed by a prison inmate named Bald, who had a new Automail arm, infused with darkness. With this new power, he changed most of the guests into Golems called Neoshadows, and with the assistance of an invisible creature, he kidnapped Riza Hawkeye, and told Mustang to release his leader, otherwise, Hawkeye will die. **

**Just when things were looking their blackest, Crimson arrived to offer them his assistance...**

**Warning: Kingdom Hearts and Fullmetal Alchemist are both licensed by Square-Enix. The secondary licenses for both franchises are Disney (Kingdom Hearts), Aniplex, Bones Inc., and Funimation (Fullmetal Alchemist). **

**PS: There will be spoilers.**

* * *

Fullmetal Kingdom: The Fanfic

Chapter 36: Some Elderly Advise

Sora, Edward, and the others could barely believe what Crimson said to them. Crimson felt awkward, seeing as how no one would answer him, so he said, "OH GOD, WHY IS IT SO DAMN QUIET?" Ed replied, "Well, you DID used the Golems on us during the Xenotime incident!" Sora then said, "Let's not forget Destiny Islands and Central City. After the damage you put us through, you expect us to just 'talk' with you?" Crimson nervously looked around, and after a few seconds, he replied, "...yes."

Crimson then crossed his arms and said, "Look, I've done my fair share of destruction, but none of it had anything to do with Destiny Islands and Central. Besides, I had no interest in a beach in Aerugo, and if Central was going to fall, **IT WOULD BE BY MY OWN HANDS**. My pets must have been under the influence of someone else, someone who has a power over them equal to my own."

Ed asked, "Do you really expect us to believe you? You're practically their mother and father wrapped into one!" Crimson countered by saying, "And what are you, **smart** and **ass** wrapped into one?" Sora then asked, "Your ignoring the question, Crimson! Did you expect us to believe you?" Crimson scratched his head and said, "Not really, knowing you heroes, you would take the words of an enemy and regard it as lies and nonsense. But if you want to save your blond trigger-happy friend, your going to have to trust me."

Sora took some time to think, then he said, "Alright, we'll listen to you, but if it turns out to be a trap-!" Crimson placed his hand on his chest and raised his other hand and said, "Please, you have my word as a...er...whatever, you get the idea." Crimson then raised his cape and said, "Now a man like Bald is prune to getting his revenge on an upper class man like the colonel. So before Bald gets the chance to kill the woman, YOU, my young Keyblade wielding friend, will have to find his location, hide in the shadows, and rescue the girl. It should be easy for the one who saved me from an eternity underneath that seal."

Crimson dropped his cape and revealed behind it, a dog-like Golem. And then, Crimson looked at Sora, the Elrics, Mustang, and the Genomes, and asked, "Does anyone have something from Bald I could use? A piece of clothing, a piece of his new arm, ...hair?" Sora replied, "Well, something invisible underneath Bald hit me and left a bit of sludge on my shirt." Crimson shook his fist, "Damn, and I had a joke ready for a piece of his hair! But, sludge will do, let's take a look." The Golem leader approached Sora and snapped his fingers, "THIS is the saliva of a Stealth Sneak! **ONE OF MY CREATIONS!** Rabid Dog!"

The Golem Dog took a whiff of the sludge and started sniffing the ground. The Rabid Dog followed the trail towards the destroyed wall and jumped down to the streets. Crimson tapped Sora's shoulder, "If I were you, I'd follow the mutt. But be careful, there's no telling when my Rabid Dog might fall under the control of Bald's new employer." Sora nods and runs after the Rabid Dog, followed after by Hughes, Donald and Goofy.

As the four heroes ran after the Golem, Crimson was approached by Mustang, "The kid's too young to know a rat when he sees one." Crimson laughed, "What, don't you trust me? ...your smarter than you look." Crimson then disappeared, leaving Mustang and the Elric Brothers to question the Golem King's motives.

Al looked at Ed and Mustang and asked, "So what do we do now?" Mustang replied, "I need you two to help Hughes and Sora out with retrieving the first lieutenant without Bald knowing it. In the meantime, I'll make a backup plan." Ed asked, "So does that mean your going to release his boss?" Mustang replied, "I may not have a choice in the matter. I'll do what I can, you two just make sure Bald doesn't break his word...or the first lieutenant." And with that, the Elric Brothers ran after Sora while Mustang sighed and walked away.

Meanwhile, Inside the Eastern Train Station, Hawkeye was stuck in a black web while Bald was walking in circles. Hawkeye noticed that while Bald was walking, he was talking to his new Golem-like arm. Hawkeye asked, "Would you two like to be alone?" Bald responded by yelling, "SHUT UP BITCH!" Hawkeye shook her head in disappointment, "Your only delaying the inevitable, the colonel has been through these kidnappings before, and he'll know in an instance that you plan on killing me when he arrives in time."

Bald smiled, "Oh no, you spoiled the big surprise! Well, since you know step one, I might as well tell you about step two." As Bald pets his strange new arm, he said to Hawkeye, "When our leader is released from prison, we'll be hitting Central hard...VERY hard. The military will fall, and the people will finally be free." Hawkeye asked, "So is that why you tore off your arm when you decided to quit the military? I doubt it. I can see that while you act like your fighting for freedom, your just inching for blood. You wanted power, so you willingly gave up your left arm for an automail arm and started using it recklessly."

Bald replied, "What I did was for the country! But no, you people were threatened by me, and so you discharged me for fighting for you. WHAT THE HELL KIND OF A MILITARY DOES THAT?" Hawkeye replied, "The kind that doesn't let mad dogs like you get away with massacring his own platoon!" Bald clenched his teeth in annoyance and said, "You know...this is getting annoying. And as much as I 'love' annoying dogs like you, I'm afraid I'll have to put you down sooner than you think if you don't SHUT UP!"

Elsewhere, the party was watching the Rabid Dog try and track down the sent. Hughes then approached Sora and said, "If we're going to catch Bald, we'll need to split up here. I have a hunch that Bald will be waiting for Roy at the train station." Sora asked, "Why would he wait there? Is he trying to escape?" Hughes replied, "It's the place where Mustang set him on fire. If Bald's going to enact his revenge on Roy, he'll want to do it in a place that was memorable! While I check the station, you go with those two and follow the Golem Dog, understand?" Sora nodded and replied, "Alright dad, good luck!"

As Hughes left the party, Sora, Donald, and Goofy chased the Rabid Dog, following the trail that led to the one-eyed criminal. Sora was starting to run out of breath and asked, "Hey, how much farther do we have to keep up with this canine?" Goofy replied, "It shouldn't be too far, just a few more footsteps and we'll be face to face with Bald!" Donald then said to them, "Well we'd better, this Golem's taking forever to lead us to a proper location! There's no telling when we'll be able to find Hawkeye and Bald!"

Just then, the Rabid Dog stopped and started to growl, so Sora asked, "What's the matter...uh, boy?" The Rabid Dog backed away for a moment, and to the trio's surprise, there was a large amount of Neoshadow Golems standing before them. Donald took out his wand and said, "Aww, not again!" Sora ran at the first Neoshadow he sees and slices right through it, then he continued slashing through the other Golems that stood behind the next.

He was rampaging through the Golems while Donald uses a nearby puddle to generate a water spell, blowing them right at Sora, "12 HEADING YOUR WAY!" Sora looks behind him and sees the Neoshadow falling towards him, and so, he leaps into the air and does a tornado-like slash to restore every falling Neoshadow back into a normal human being.

Goofy just batted his enemies away with his shield, and said to himself, "If only Maxy could see me now! (ahyuk) I'm like one of those superheroes beat'n up the bad guys. AAAAAGH, STILL ALIVE!" Goofy then slammed his shield on the head of another Golem while Donald used another water spell to take out 4 more Neoshadows. The trio took out 7 more, changing them back into humans. As the restored townspeople ran away, Sora and the Genomes continued to follow the Rabid Dog.

But while they were following the dog, Ed and Al finally caught up with them. Ed asked, "How much farther do we have to run?" Sora replied, "I don't know, the dog's been leading us through the entire city!" Al then asked, "Well, do you think it's being controlled by the other guy?" Goofy agreed by saying, "Hmm, I think Al's right Donald! Maybe the Rabid Dog is leading into a trap or something!"

Donald nodded, "Yeah, Crimson did say that there was another person who could control the Golems, and that in time, the Rabid Dog could also fall under that guy's control!" And then, the dog stopped and started growling again. Sora asked, "What is it boy? Are there more Golems coming this way?" But when Sora asked, the Rabid Dog turned around and attacked him, biting his right arm! Ed ran over to try and pull it off, but to no avail, he said to Al, "This thing's not letting go Al, I'll need some help!"

Al walks over and grabs the Rabid Dog by the tail, he then gave a mighty pull on the dog's tail, forcing it off of Sora! As the Rabid Dog was dropped, Ed noticed an emblem appearing on it's forehead, it appeared to be an X with thorns on a heart. Ed then said, "I don't think that's supposed to be there." The Rabid Dog then howled loudly, as it did, Sora, Edward, and the others started hearing multiple scampering, and then growling. And after a few seconds, more Rabid Dogs appeared, and surrounded the party.

And then, the Rabid Dogs charged at Sora's right arm! Sora sliced through the dogs with his Avenger, but his arm was still bitten by one, and then another, then many more tried to have a nibble! Ed and Al pulled off one dog after another, but the Rabid Dogs still attacked! While trying to defend himself, Sora asked, "Why are those things targeting my right arm?" Ed replied, "It's because you use that arm to swing that dorky sword! It's both your strength AND weakness!" Sora asked, "How would they know? They're just monsters that act on instinct, like animals!" Donald replied, "It's gotta be their master! The one Crimson was telling us about!"

After kicking a dog into the air, Ed asked, "But how would their step-dad know about Sora?" After Sora batted away another group of dogs, he remembered something...

"**Sora, be careful. Out there, the enemy can be unpredictable."**

Sora sliced through 3 more Rabid Dogs and looked at his right hand, "I shook his hand with my right. Xehanort...could he be responsible?" Ed asked, "What did you say Sora?" Sora replied, "...I'll tell you in a minute! First, we have to clear these mutts off the streets and get back to tracking down the First Lieutenant!"

"**ALAKA-ZAM!**"

To the party's surprise, the endless army of Rabid Dogs were frozen in blocks of ice in an instant! As Ed examined the ice, he said, "Did Donald do this?" Donald replied, "I didn't do this. This was...an enhanced ice spell!" As then, an old man with a long beard, in a large blue coat, wearing a tall blue hat, stepped before them while putting his small, thin wand back into his pocket. The old man waved at the heroes while smiling kindly, "How strange, tonight is supposed to be a night for romance, shining stars, and joyful dreams, not dogs eating dogs, am I right Mr. Elric? Hehehe, because, hehe, your a 'dog' of the state, hehe, 'dog', get it? Oh ho ho ho ho ho ho ho!"

The Elric Brothers approached the old man, and Al said, "Mr. Merlin? Is it really you? It's been months!" Ed smiled, "It's good to hear your lame jokes again, ya old coot. So how's Archimedes?" Merlin replied, "Still as moody as ever. The old bird still prefers MY food than his own. Anyway, it looks like you boys are on an assignment."

Ed nodded, "Yeah we are, we're chasing down a nutcase-." Before Ed could finish, Donald shoved him out of the way and bowed before Merlin, "Master, I never thought I'd see you again. Do you recognize me?" Merlin nodded, "Why, if it isn't Donald, my young disciple." Al asked, "Wait, so you know Donald?" Merlin replied, "I most certainly do! He and Goofy were always hanging around that little rascal of a president." Goofy shook Merlin's hand, "It's good to see you again sir, we'd love to catch up on old times, but we have a situation in our hands!"

Merlin asked, "I see, so you two are...working together with these humans?" Doanld replied, "Well, unfortunately yes. We didn't have a choice, master, while we were looking for the president and the new Keyblade Master, we were caught by the military!"

Merlin looked at the Elrics and smiled at Donald, "Well you don't need to worry about these two, they are quite helpful and polite. In fact, a few months ago, the Elric Brothers stopped a few ruffians from getting away with Archimedes and a few viles of my formula. And it was a good thing they came, because that formula might have poisoned many innocent people if left in the wrong hands."

Sora walked next to the Genomes and said, "I'm sorry sir, but-" Before Sora could continue, Merlin said to him, "Now now boy, the name is Merlin. And I happen to be one of the worlds most powerful wizards!" Sora nodded in disbelief, "Y-yeah, sure you are, but we really need to go, a friend of ours is in trouble." Merlin looked Sora in the eyes, "Hmm, you NEED to go, eh? I've heard about you young man, the president told me that he gave the Key to a stubborn yet courageous young man. A young man...named Sora, are you him?" Sora replied, "Y-yes."

Donald then came before Sora and asked, "Master, you met with President Mickey?" Merlin replied, "Yes I did, but for now, we can't stutter, time is of the essence! Elrics, the man you were seeking, did he look a bit scruffy and wore an eye patch on his right eye?" Edward replied, "Yep, that's the guy!" Merlin clapped, "Oh goody! I knew my eyes wouldn't need to be checked! Despite my age, I can still see perfectly!"

Merlin then took out his wand and prepared to cast a spell, but before he did, he looked at Sora and the Elrics, "Edward, Alphonse, I do not expect the two of you, or the Keyblade Master, to believe in my magic over your alchemy, but please know that I am still honored to use my magic to help you boys. That reminds me Edward, while I was away, I payed a visit in Risembool to offer flowers to your mother, and the Rockbells wanted to send you a message, Winry wants you and Al to know that she is still waiting for you to visit."

Ed was shocked to know what Merlin did, but he smiled and said, "...thanks ya old coot."

Merlin then started waving his wand and casting the spell. And just like that, the puddles in the area began to glow, and to the party's surprise, large wet footprints glowed before them. Merlin explained, "It's a bit late for people to be out at this time, but the man you boys are after ran through here a few seconds ago, riding an invisible beast. Follow the wet footprints boys, and you should find your friend, and that rugged cyclops as well!"

Meanwhile, as the heroes started to follow the glowing footprints, a hooded figure watched from afar while talking to someone on the phone, "It's him alright, and he's still playing the loyal sidekick. ...yes...yes, I'll keep perusing him. I will, but before I do that, I would like to...really? Thank you, this will only take small second. Thank you. Oh, and tell him he's still an ass. Bye."

The hooded figure then lept from building to building in hot pursuit of the party...

End of Chapter 36

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**Next Chapter, The party encounters the invisible creature who aided Bald...**

**Please Comment.**


	37. Chapter 37

**Last time, Sora and the Elric Brothers finally come face to face with the leader of the Golems, Crimson, the Heartless King. He came to inform them that he was not the one responsible for Bald's rise to power, there is actually another person out there that could use the Golems. But they had no time to question Crimson since Bald had Hawkeye as a hostage. So to gain their trust, Crimson offered them a Golem dog called the Rabid Dog to track the sent of Bald.**

**Along with Donald, and Goofy, Sora and the Elrics follow the Golem dog while Hughes headed for the train station to try and find Bald. Meanwhile, Mustang goes off to take care of Bald's demand...**

**However, as the heroes followed the dog, they noticed a strange red emblem shaped like a heart with the letter 'X' on it, on the Golem's forehead. The Rabid Dog was now under the control of the second Golem master. It then called upon several more Rabid Dogs to attack the group. Surprisingly, it attacked Sora's right hand, due to the fact that he uses that hand for the Keyblade. Sora then remembered shaking Xehanort's hand earlier, and suspected that the strange alchemist may be responsible.**

**Just when things looked their blackest, a powerful ice spell encased the Golem dogs in cubes of ice. The one who cast the spell was an old friend of the Elrics, as well as an old teacher of Donald, Merlin the wizard. The kindly wizard was told about the predicament, so he cast a spell that could help Sora and the Elrics track down Bald, just by tracking his wet footprints(and ONLY his wet footprints)**

**Little did they know that they were being followed by the hooded girl Sora met earlier...**

**Warning: Kingdom Hearts and Fullmetal Alchemist are both licensed by Square-Enix. The secondary licenses for both franchises are Disney (Kingdom Hearts), Aniplex, Bones Inc., and Funimation (Fullmetal Alchemist). **

**PS: There will be spoilers.**

* * *

Fullmetal Kingdom: The Fanfic

Chapter 37: The Stealth Sneak

As Sora, Donald, Goofy, and the Elric Brothers followed the glowing footprints, Sora had to ask, "So Ed, it doesn't bother you that Merlin uses magic instead of alchemy?" Ed replied, "Well, naturally I'd prove the whole sorcerer thing to be completely fake. But the geezer's been good to me and Al for sometime. I'd hate to give the old coot a heart attack."

Sora smiled and said, "Yeah, I can understand that. Besides, after someone treats you nice while being dedicated to something that you don't naturally agree with, it would be wrong to point at him and laugh." Sora looked away for a minute, and remembered something, something he had to ask Ed, "So...Edward, did you hear anything about Lior?"

Ed was confused by the question, "No, I haven't heard anything. Why are you bringing that up all of a sudden? (snicker) Your worried about Rose, aren't you?" Sora replied, "Uh, ah, n-n-no, I was just wondering, that's all. If there's nothing going on in Lior, that's fine." As the party ran, Sora couldn't help but remember the conversation he overheard in Xenotime...

**It's hard to believe Father Cornello's supporters would just come back to him like that!**

**They are Ishbalins, they'll do anything for their supposed God.**

**I heard that a girl with funny looking hair was trying to stop the conflict. **

**She doesn't have much support, but she seems pretty sure of herself. **

**She won't stand a chance though, it's only a matter of time until she cracks under the pressure.**

That conversation filled Sora's head with guilt and fear ever since, but since he was currently on the lookout for Bald, he decided to put the thought of going to Lior on hold, and so he kept moving. But Ed still felt suspicious, so he asked, "There is something going on in Lior, is there?" Sora replied, "I just wanted to know whether or not Cornello was rising back to power. And since you told me there wasn't any news, then I don't have to worry." But Ed asked, "You know something, don't you?" Sora shook his head, "I don't know anything, OK? I was just curious, that's all!"

"Your lying!"

"Am not!"

"Are to! I can see it in those big eyes of yours!"

"It's just your imagination!"

"Is not!"

"Is to!"

"Quit lying to me like I'm an idiot!"

"YOUR THE IDIOT, SHORT STUFF!"

"WHO-YA-CALLIN-A-MIGITIZED-BUG-EATING-TRASH-OF-A-!"

"GUYS, WHATCH OUT!"

(SMACK)

As Alphonse, Donald, and Goofy called out to them, Sora and Ed unexpectedly bashed their heads against a brick wall. "Somewhere, out there, I know someone's laughing and saying 'DERN IDJITS'!" Sora said as he held his head in pain. Ed leaned against a wall and said, "Pain, my old enemy. And to think, I encountered you in almost every adventure. YOUR JUST ENJOYING THE VIEW, AREN'T YOU GOD!"

Goofy then noticed the glowing footprints were starting to blink, "You guys, we don't have any time left! We have to find Miss Hawkeye before the footprints stop glowing!" Sora and Edward then noticed the same thing, so Sora replied, "I guess we can't stand here and argue anymore, time to get ba-!" Just then, a massive force of strength bashed Sora into a wall!

Ed transmutes a spear from the ground and said to Al and the Genomes, "IT'S BALD'S INVISIBLE PET, THE STEALTH SNEAK!" Al then noticed a glimmer in the air coming towards Ed, "Brother!" Al ran towards, and pushed his brother aside, taking the damage in Ed's place!

"ALPHONSE!"

Donald rushed to Sora's side and asked, "Sora, are you OK?" Sora replied, "...I can...barely move..." Donald looked at Goofy and said, "Goofy, you help the tin man, I'll do what I can with Sora." Goofy gave a salute to Donald and rushed to Alphonse's side. But as he did, he heard something coming from above, so he lept forward, dodging the Stealth Sneak's massive attack! "Gotcha!" Ed said as the invisible creature missed Goofy. He thrusts his spear, hoping to skewer the monster, and then, a shriek came out, as it was screaming in pain, the Golem's invisible skin started to glow!

Ed backed away and saw the creature's form revealed as a large chameleon with alchemic tatoos all over it's body, it had ape-like arms with cat-like claws, long frog legs, a curled up tail, and a large rhinoceros horn on the tip of it's nose. As the Stealth Sneak grabbed the spear stuck in it's arm, Ed smiled and said, "Aww, what's the matter, Emperor lost his new clothes? Now that we can see you, there's no way you can stealthily sneak past-!"

Before Ed could finish, the large lizard took out the spear and threw it at Ed's automail arm! "Damn it!" Ed said as he jumped out of the way. But just as he stopped rolling, The Stealth Sneak used it's tail to grab Ed's leg, and fling Ed across the air! While watching, Al tried to get up, but to his surprise, he finds his iron body parts scattered across the area. Then he saw Goofy running towards him with his left leg, "Don't worry Alphonse, I'll fix ya up in no time!" Goofy jams the leg back into Al, then he runs towards one of Al's arms and repeats the process.

While Al was getting fixed up, Donald pulled out a bottle of Potion for Sora to drink. Donald then explained, "Since you've been banged up pretty badly, desperate times requires us to take drastic measures. Sora, this is a Potion I've been experimenting with for a while, it rejuvenates the body and restores it in the process. Drinking this will heal you completely." Sora asked, "What...kind of Potion is it?" Donald replied, "Well, I'm not good with making up names, so let's just call it, the Hi-Potion."

As his friends were recuperating, Ed used alchemy and brought out a large cannon, and aimed it for the Golem. As the Stealth Sneak ran at Ed, he said, "OK ya puss-eating salamander, I had my fill, BUT YOU CAN HAVE THE MAIN COURSE!" Ed then kicked the canon, firing it's cannonball at the Stealth Sneak, who received heavy damage from the blow, sending it straight through a wall!

Ed walked up towards the wall, checking to see if it was down for the count. But to his surprise, it was nowhere to be seen. Ed walked away slowly while keeping himself alert while looking around. Unbeknownst to Edward, the Stealth Sneak was invisible again while walking towards him silently. While it's eyes were glowing, It crept slowly towards the Fullmetal Alchemist, waiting for it's chance to strike. It raised it's hand in an attempt to swat Ed like a fly...

(BLAM, BLAM!)

Bullets came right through the Stealth Sneak, and the creature shot large blasts of light uncontrollably from it's eyes all around itself, destroying everything in it's path! Edward jumped out of the way, but when he stopped rolling, he found what seemed to be the blood of the Golem son his glove. Though the Stealth Sneak was still invisible, it's bullet wounds weren't.

Edward notices the creature looking around, distracted by it's pain and the need to search for the one who shot it. It was finally time for the Fullmetal Alchemist to take action. So he aimed his spear at the creature's bullet wounds and threw it! Edward's spear then went right through the monster, making it shriek out in pain.

But the creature wasn't through yet, and to make matters worse, it knew who threw the spear! The Stealth Sneak turned at Edward and shot out more blasts of light at him. Ed managed to dodge the onslaught, but the beast's tail quickly knocked him into a wall while he was busy dodging it's attacks!

Ed stood up from the attack, but his head was woozy from the attack. The Stealth Sneak saw Edward and ran right for him, with it's jaw opened wide! But just when the Golem was close enough to eat Ed, it felt it's tail getting jerked, something, or someone, was pulling it away from the Fullmetal Alchemist.

It was Alphonse who was pulling the Stealth Sneak away! Al then threw the Stealth Sneak across the air and tossed a piece of debris at it! As it fell, Goofy threw his shield at it, and it bruised and cut the creature 10 times! But even that wouldn't silence the monster, so as it resumed falling, the Stealth Sneak prepared another light blast from it's eyes at Al and Goofy, but it was interrupted by an intense from Sora, who sent it flying!

The Stealth Sneak finally fell to the ground, with a stable Ed ready for the finishing blow. But Donald stopped him and said, "You had your fun with 'greeny', now it's MY turn." Donald then pulled out a box of matches and said, "Hmph, glad I asked Havoc for these."Donald then lit one of the matches and brought the flame up to his staff, which brought out more ruins, but instead of blue ruins, they were red...

"FIRE, BURST OUT!"

As soon as Donald spoke, his wand blasts a large burst of flame at the Stealth Sneak! As the Stealth Sneak caught on fire, it shrieked out more until it fell to the ground, motionless. Donald nodded his head in pride, "Yup, NOW it's toast!" Al then said, "We can't waist any more time here! We have to find the second lieutenant before Bald kills her!" Ed then said, "Yeah, but...just to be safe..."

(stab)

Ed stabbed the Stealth Sneak, and it let out a large groan, then Ed stabbed it again, (stab) and another groan came out. And then, Ed used a strong thrust (stab) and finally killed the Golem monstrosity, who's groaned weakened. As the burnt creature fell to the hands of death, Sora came up to Ed and asked, "Ed, that thing was gonna fry." Ed nodded, "I know, I know, I was just making sure the giant chameleon was dead. You never know when it'll come back up again."

Sora then felt a nudge on his leg, he looked down to check and found a small stray dog, "RABID DOG!" Sora jumped into Al's arms in surprise, "DON'T LET IT EAT MY HAND!" Al shook Sora to snap him out of his surprise, "It's not a Rabid Dog, Sora, it's just a dog, a puppy to be exact."

Sora then jumped down and took a better look at the small canine. It was a small Shiba Inu puppy with black fur surrounding it's white fur. It walked up to Sora and sniffed his shoes, it then lept into Sora's arms and started licking his face. Sora's fears went away as he started laughing, "(chuckle) OK, OK, your a good dog, I get it."

Goofy smiled and said, "Gwarsh, Sora, I think he likes you." Sora picked the dog up from his face and placed him back on the ground, "Look, little fella, we'd like to give you a home and all, but we have to save a friend of ours, she's a nice lady who's been captured by a one-eyed creep that wants to hurt my other friends."

"Hang on, Sora!" Donald said as he walked up to the Golem carcase. Donald thought long and hard, and in a few seconds, he came up with an idea, "The dog seems to be talented in it's smelling capabilities...Sora, we're bringing the dog with us!" Ed aksed, "Look, duck, he's adorable, but we don't have a home for him."

"NOT THAT KND OF 'TAKE HIM WITH US' JIZ YA PEE-BRAINED PIPSQUEEK!"

"WHO-YA CALLIN A FLEA THAT PLAYS DRACULA AND STICKS IT'S TEETH INTO THE FLEA-BITTEN SKIN OF A DOG?"

Al asked, "So why do we need to bring him along?" Donald explained, "The puppy has a strong sense of smell! Don't you guys get it? We can use the dog to track down Bald and the Golems." Goofy patted Donald on the head, "That's a great idea Donald!" Ed pouted, "I could have come up with that stupid idea!"

Sora then petted the crying puppy and said, "Hey little guy, (Ed: "Who-ya-calling-" Donald: "SHUT-IT!") how about a deal? If you can use your nose to help us find the bad guys, then we'll help you find a nice home. Deal?" As Sora extended his hand, the puppy smiled and barked, then the dog put it's paw in Sora's hand, and the two shake their hands in agreement.

The little puppy walks towards the dead Stealth Sneak and starts smelling it, even though it smelled pretty bad. The puppy then started to track the sent, and so, the party followed in hot pursuit. But Ed couldn't help but wonder, "How could Sora talk to a dog and have it agree to help us?"

Meanwhile, inside the eastern train station, Bald was getting impatient while waiting for Mustang to arrive. He said to himself, "Something's up, I just know it. If I know Mustang, he'll be scheming again, he probably sent someone, or even the Fullmetal brat, to try and save the lady's hide." Bald turns toward Hawkeye and said, "If he does anything funny, don't think it'll just be you, I'll kill every damn person in this town!"

Just then, a deep and gruff voice was heard in the dark, "Getting impatient, Bald? That's not something I would allow, even from my most pig-headed follower."

Bald turned around and saw two figures stepping into the building. Hawkeye was surprised by the first person to enter, "C-colonel?" as Mustang walked towards Bald, he brought someone with him, a prisoner who had his arms placed inside special cuffs that restrain him from using alchemy.

Bald's eyes widened in surprise as he saw the man Mustang brought in, "That hair, those eyes, sir, is that you?" The prisoner replied, "...disappointing, Bald, truly disappointing. Have you really forgotten the face of your leader, Isaac McDougal, the Freezing Alchemist?"

End of Chapter 37

* * *

**Next Chapter, Bald and Mustang make the trade, but one of them is in for a surprise...**

**Please Comment.**


	38. Chapter 38

**Last time, Sora, Donald, Goofy and the Elric Brothers were in hot pursuit of Bald, an old enemy of Roy Mustang, who has Hawkeye as a hostage. But as they were following the wet footprints of his steed, the invisible Golem Known as the Stealth Sneak, it surprised them and attacked.**

**The team fought until they set the beast on fire, courtesy of Donald's magic. Afterwords, Sora came upon a small, homeless, black and white puppy, whom Donald suggested they use to track down Bald.**

**But while the heroes were rushing to the rescue, Mustang beat them to it when he arrived inside the train station, where Bald was waiting. But to Bald's shock, Mustang brought his leader to him...**

**Warning: Kingdom Hearts and Fullmetal Alchemist are both licensed by Square-Enix. The secondary licenses for both franchises are Disney (Kingdom Hearts), Aniplex, Bones Inc., and Funimation (Fullmetal Alchemist). **

******PS: There will be spoilers.**  


* * *

Fullmetal Kingdom: The Fanfic

Chapter 38: Enter the Freezer

"_Isaac McDougal, or by his aliases, Isaac the Freezer, and the Freezing Alchemist. He is a former State Alchemist who used his abilities during the Ishbal War, during that time, there were no signs that he turned traitor. But afterwords, he resigned from his commission and went into hiding. He's been working with the Anti-Establishment Movement ever since. The Movement was a rebellion of turncoats and cutthroats who went by different names in Amestris, the Eastern Liberation, the Northern Liberation, Southern and Western, there's been countless acts against the military by the Anti-Establishment Movement, but after a few months, Isaac was spotted in an attempt by the Movement to overthrow Twilight Town's own mayor and make the town their new base of operations, a fortress to be exact. It was a clever plan, and they would've been eager to use the Mayor as an example to the military, but the fuhrer surprised the Freezer and his men when they arrived in the mayor's office. Ever since the ambush, Isaac, was placed in prison for the remainder of his days until he showed signs of cooperation._ So I'm sure you know the risks of what happens when you let him loose?" Mustang said.

Bald replied, "All that and more, colonel. He's the best thing that ever happened to this state. The Movement and the Eastern Liberation will finally have their leader returned to them, and we will begin the destruction of the military and King Bradley, the man who changed this country into a hellhole!"

Hawkeye then said, "...and fired you because you and your allies were driven to kill innocent people." Bald looked at Hawkeye and said, "I was fired because I wanted to be stronger!" Mustang then said with sarcasm, "By chopping off your arm and replacing it with automail? Well, if that's not crazy, than it HAS to be brilliant...now, back to business, I brought your leader here, so release the first lieutenant."

Bald shook his head, "I'm afraid I can't Mustang, chances are that you'll set me ablaze again like last time, so to keep you from trying anything, I'll bring the little girl with us!" Mustang yelled, "We had a deal, Bald!" Bald then points his new arm at Hawkeye and replied, "Yeah, we HAD a deal, and now we have another, if you want to see this bitch alive, you will release our leader from his shackles and let him CHOKE THE LIFE OUT OF YOU!"

Hawkeye struggled to get free from the black web, "YOU LYING PIECE OF-!" Bald turned around and punched Hawkeye in the gut, "Shut it!" Mustang shook his head and proceeded in loosening the shackles on Isaac's arms.

While everyone was paying attention to Isaac's shackles, Hawkeye heard someone whisper in her ear, "Psst, First Lieutenant, are you alright?" Hawkeye recognized the voice, "Hughes? What are you-?" Hughes replied, "SHHHHH, you want the one-eyed psycho to hear you? Just stay calm, I've brought some 'insurance'." Hawkeye felt a gun slip in her hand, she smiled and said, "Thank you Lieutenant Colonel, but could you cut the web?" Hughes replied, "I'm already on it!"

Back outside, Sora, Donald, Goofy, and the Elric Brothers followed the small puppy as it's nose guided them to where Bald and his Golems were hiding. As they followed the dog, Sora looked at Ed and said to him, "So Ed, you know how those Golems attacked my hand earlier?" Ed replied, "The hand that you used to hold that funny-shaped sword?" Sora nodded and explained, "It may just be my imagination, and it's NOT something you have to take seriously...but I think Xehanort's the one to blame!"

Ed bursts with laughter, "(laughing) Y-you mean the shrink? The guy who scrambled a prisoner's 'Heart'? Oh yeah, HE'S evil, he's got eyes like mine, so he has to be evil! Or maybe it's because he's Ishbalin, racist." Sora stuttered, "THAT'S NOT WHAT I MEANT YOU LITTLE-!" Ed's eyes started to burn as he looked at Sora, "...go on...continue...I'm a little WHAAAAAAAAAAAAT?"

Sora pushed Ed away, "Listen you creep, I'm not suspecting Xehanort because he's related to Ishbalins or even if he's got the same weird eyes you do! Ever since I shook his hand at the ceremony, the Golems were attacking me like crazy! I was hoping if you could find out why the Golems are drawn to my right hand, since the two of you ARE alchemists! So if there's a chance you'll find something there, I'd be grateful! Now please...LOOK AT MY GOD DAMN RIGHTY!"

"OK, OK, don't scream my ear off, give me the hand already." Ed said as he grabbed Sora's right arm. He examined the right hand and said to Sora, "So you think Xehanort's hand did something to you, huh?" Sora nodded, "Yes. But Edward, Is it possible for an alchemist to even make something that could attract a Golem?" Ed replied, "If I knew that, then I'd tell you. Golems aren't exactly things you can understand just by looking at them, you know."

Al then said, "I might know something about a Golem. Not the type we deal with, but another." Sora asked, "There was another type of Golem?" Al nodded, "It was a transcript I read about a while ago, where a rabbi by the name, Judah Loew ben Bezalel, created a large stone creature to defend his people from brutal attacks. The way the rabbi commanded the Golem was quite unique from how you would order animals and soldiers. Instead of simply telling it what to do, Rabbi Bezalel wrote a small script that implied the order. And then, he would put the script into the Golem's mouth, and send it out to do what it was commanded to do."

Sora's eyes lit up with fascination, "So a Golem can also protect innocent people? It's hard to believe Golems are capable of doing the right thing." Ed interrupted, "Just as long as the one who controls the Golems isn't a sociopath like our black 'n red buddy, Crimson."

"You called?"

Just then, Crimson appeared before the heroes and bowed before them, "I'm enjoying this, seeing you tiny-minded mortals risk your lives AND limbs to rescue the hussy. And for your bravery, I hereby award you with a location..." Crimson then pointed to the dog's target, the Eastern Train Station.

Sora looked at the others and said, "It's just as dad said, the train station was where Bald went all along!" Crimson then said, "By the way, your leader, the colonel, went in their with a very messy looking criminal. Could it be that your leader has decided to...switch sides?" Ed replied, "As if, you overgrown headcase! If Mustang went in their with any criminal, it would have to be the criminal that Bald wanted, the Eastern Liberation Leader!"

Crimson clapped at Edward's explanation, "Bravo, Fullmetal, bravo. Now all that needs to be done is for you tykes to get in there and rescue the young lady before Bald, how you say, 'busts a cap'!" Sora then approached the tall Golem leader and asked, "Crimson, why are you helping us anyway? Aren't you a Golem-?" Ed then asked, "Who commands the other Golems to kill us?"

Crimson replied, "It's as I said earlier, there was someone else who had control of my pets. Knowing this has greatly irritated me to no extent, and I want to show this puppet master who truly deserves to pulls the strings of my Golems. Once you take care of Bald, perhaps he'll be willing to tell me where his employer is so I can choke the life out of him."

Al then pushed his friends towards the station and said, "Well...thank you for your help, bye now!" The party then headed towards the station, but as they did, Crimson stopped Sora by grabbing his shoulder and saying, "Did you find a small bit of sand on your right hand?" Sora looked at his hand and found small bits of red sand on his hand. The Keyblade Master turned around to look at Crimson and ask him how he knew, but before he could ask, Crimson replied, "That is a small residue from a red stone."

"A red stone?" As Sora dusted his right hand off, Crimson explained, "A key ingredient to the stone to be precise. The man who shook your hand left trace amounts of that ingredient to try and cripple your arm and cease your involvement in the military's activities. THAT ingredient...is what attracts the Golems." Sora then asked, "Well what's the ingredient he used?"

"..."

Sora asked again, "Tell me! What did Xehanort use?" Crimson answered, "...I think it would be best if you, '**Biggs and Wedge**' over there figured it out on your own. It's always fun to watch someone figure things out on their own. But I'll tell you what, if you join me, I might give you some more answers." Sora replied, "Your joking right? After what you pulled, it's a miracle that your still alive right now!"

"Oh, so you'd be willing to kill me to stop the Golems?" Crimson asked. When Sora heard his question, he replied, "I'm not the killing type of assassin, I protect my targets." Crimson nodded, "How noble, how inspirational, **HOW STUPID ARE YOU?**" Sora stepped back in surprise at Crimson's burst of anger.

Crimson then said, "Many years have passed since I last stepped foot in this country, but if there's one thing I know that won't change here, it's the military's cruelty! You believe the soldiers here can be your friends, your cover, your 'friends to the end', but in the end, your friends will use you, they will even hate you for all the hard work you've done! I've been a witness to their acts, and I can tell you this, loyalty will NOT be rewarded with praise, it will be awarded with a position for you in the laboratory's of the state! They dig into you and use whats left of you to make them stronger, is THAT a friend, NO, it's an enemy Sora, an enemy who will never respect you or the work you've done! You are currently the only one who can wield the Keyblade and it's power, join me, and your Keyblade will grow even stronger! It 's better than rotting with these alchemists and their barbaric quest."

Sora replied, "Too bad Crimson, I'd rather 'rot' with my friends than join you." Crimson shook his head in disappointment, he then patted Sora's shoulder, "...then rot boy, rot with the rest of the 'bad apples'." After the Golem leader walked past him, Sora continued onward towards his friends.

Inside the train station, Bald watched as Mustang took the shackles off of Isaac's arms. Bald then said out loud, "Reminder alert Mustang, if you try anything funny, I'll kill the little lady over here!" But as Bald scolded Mustang, Hughes was busy cutting Hawkeye free. Hughes whispered, "Almost...there..."

"Colonel, what's going on?"

Mustang turns towards the entrance and sees Sora, the Elric Brothers, and the Genomes. The colonel explained, "I'm releasing a criminal in exchange for the life of the first lieutenant." Ed asked, "Your giving in to the cyclops's demands? What the hell, Mustang?" Bald snapped and said, "C-cyclops? Why you little brats! THAT TEARS IT, I'M KILLING THE WOMAN-! ...huh?"

To Bald's surprise, Hawkeye was nowhere to be seen. He looked at Mustang and asked, "BASTARD, THIS IS YOUR DOING, ISN'T IT?" Mustang shook his head, "I don't know what your talking about, you had her right next to you-aww wait, not there? Looks like the deal is off."

"Not likely Mustang."

And to everyone's surprise, Isaac tore the restraints off his arms and kicked Mustang away. Bald cheered, "OUR LEADER IS FINALLY FREE!" Then Bald threw a gauntlet with a transmutation circle over to Isaac, "Suck on THAT failure, Mustang while the Freezer kills you where you stand!" As Isaac took the gauntlet and placed it on his arm, he looked at Bald and asked, "Bald, did you just say that I was going to kill Mustang?"

Bald nodded, "Yes sir, it's a way of getting your revenge on the military's dogs." the Freezer started walking towards Bald while clenching his fists, "Your LEADER, who founded the Anti-Establishment Movement...was going to kill Mustang?" Bald was starting to feel disturbed by Isaac's temper and asks, "S-sir, I-I don't understand, why are you talking like I disobeyed you? Haven't I saved you from the Military?"

Isaac replied, "Regretfully Bald, Mustang was the one who released me, YOU did nothing but threaten the military with kidnapping a hostage. And using that strange arm to make monsters to obey you? I'd say your getting cocky in your age...**a bit too cocky**!" Bald swallowed his pride and tried to explain, "S-sir, isn't this what we wanted?" Isaac replied, "What I want..." Isaac's eyes started to burn with intense anger as he grabbed Bald by the throat with the arm that wore the gauntlet, and he said to Bald as he was gasping for air, "...What I want is what the people want...an ending to the tragedy."

As Isaac finished talking, his gauntlet arm instantly froze Bald's body into frozen flesh! And then Isaac drops his frozen victim, and watches Bald break into a million pieces of ice.

Sora was disturbed by Isaac's action and asked, "Y-you killed your own soldier! WHY DID YOU DO THAT! Wasn't he on your side?" Isaac replied, "It doesn't matter who's side your on, as long as you get what you want, nothing matters. What he wanted was more bloodshed, I on the other hand wanted the opposite, to free the people of Amestris from King Bradley. Bald was starting to think outside the box, so I kicked him out of that box by putting him out in the cold."

Sora protested Isaacs words, "HE WAS ONE OF YOUR MEN, THERE WAS NO REASON TO JUST THROW HIM AWAY LIKE GARBAGE!" Isaac just smiled and replied, "Your a part of the military, aren't you? So you of all people should know that great deeds require great sacrifice. ISN'T THAT THE LAW OF EQUIVALENT EXCHANGE?" As Isaac laughed, Ed answered, "Save your breath, the laws of alchemy don't justify murder!"

Edward then clapped his hands and transmuted an iron bat with his face on it. Isaac staggered when he saw Edward's alchemy, "No transmutation circle?" Ed replied, "Don't be too impressed. SORA, AL, LET'S GO!" Sora unsheathed his Avenger and charged at Isaac alongside Edward and Alphonse. As Alphonse prepared a punch for Isaac, the Freezer ducked and kicked the giant suit of armor away, but Sora had the opportunity to attack Isaac, but Isaac was too fast, and swiftly dodged the attack.

Isaac took a look at Sora's weapon and asked, "What kind of a sword is that?" Sora replied, the kind that makes mincemeat out of thugs like you!" Sora then rushed at Isaac with repeated slices, each one was close enough to cut Isaac, but the Freezer was still dodging every last attack! Isaac made an attempt to use his alchemy on Sora by grabbing his sword and reaching out at the Keyblade Master, but Sora made a backflip and gave Ed a chance to attack with his spear!

Isaac dodged the spear and grabbed Ed's right arm! And then, he used alchemy to try and boil Ed's arm, "Water freezes, water boils, either way, your just as dead!" But Ed kicked him away, making Isaac wonder, "No, I had you! Any water in your arm should have boiled you alive!" Sora walked beside Ed and said to Isaac, "Well, if it's any consolation, you did ruin his coat."

Isaac looked at Edward's right arm and noticed his automail. Isaac then realized who he was fighting, "A gifted young alchemist...with no need for transmutation circles...and has an automail right arm! I know you, you are the Fullmetal Alchemist! EDWARD ELRIC!"

End of Chapter 38

* * *

**Edward's battle with the Freezer was only beginning, but a surprise guest makes things worse...**

**Please Comment.**


	39. Chapter 39

**Last time, In order to save his subordinate, First Lieutenant Riza Hawkeye, Colonel Roy Mustang brought the leader of the Eastern Liberation, Isaac McDougal, to the man who held Hawkeye hostage, Bald. But instead of trading their allies, Bald threatened Hawkeye's life if Mustang wouldn't take the restraints off of Isaac's hands.**

**Outside, Sora, Donald, Goofy and the Elric Brothers finally reached Bald's hideout, the Eastern Train Station. As the party approached the station, Sora asked Ed to examine his right hand to see what Xehanort used to make the Golems attack his right hand. But to their surprise, Crimson appeared and answered their question, Xehanort used a small ingredient of the Red Stone to lure the Golems to the Keyblade Master's hand. When asked about what ingredient was, Crimson was silent. But he presented Sora with a position in his army instead, telling him that through Crimson's teachings, Sora could become a stronger wielder of the Keyblade. Of coarse, Sora refused the mysterious Golem leader's invitation and proceeded onwards with his friends.**

**When Sora and the Elrics came inside the train station, Mustang had already freed Isaac. But while Bald laughed in victory, Hughes had succeeded in releasing Hawkeye from her capture. But another surprise awaited the heroes, Isaac wasn't pleased with Bald's cocky attitude, and so he killed him for it with his own Ice Alchemy by freezing Bald and shattering his corpse to pieces! This lead to Sora and the Elrics attacking him before he could make his escape. As Isaac attacked Ed with his Ice Alchemy, he found out that Ed had an automail arm, and so, his alchemy was useless on it. Then he realized who he was fighting...**

**Warning: Kingdom Hearts and Fullmetal Alchemist are both licensed by Square-Enix. The secondary licenses for both franchises are Disney (Kingdom Hearts), Aniplex, Bones Inc., and Funimation (Fullmetal Alchemist). **

**PS: There will be spoilers.**

* * *

Fullmetal Kingdom: The Fanfic

Chapter 39: Lost Memories

"I know you, you are the Fullmetal Alchemist! EDWARD ELRIC!"

Isaac then looked at Alphonse and asked, "Wait, so it's not you?" Al scratched his head and replied, "Uh, no, not really, I'm his younger brother, Alphonse." Isaac looked at Ed, then Al, and looked at them again and again for 3 more times.

"But he's a runt!"

Ed's eyes tweaked in irritation, "**OH-YEAH-COULD-A-RUNT-DO-THIS**?"

Ed clapped his hands again, but this time, he transmuted a large number of pillars to trap Isaac! As Isaac's squished demeanor was trying to break free, he said, "I heard the stories, but still, I never imagined this! The Fullmetal Alchemist is just a little kid!"

"**DON'T CALL ME LITTLE**!"

Ed's next transmutation ended up being a giant hand slapping Isaac across the air.

As Ed was steaming mad, Alphonse explained, "You know brother, I don't think he was talking about your height." Ed replied, "...well...EVEN IF HE WASN'T, HE STILL PISSED ME OFF!"

"Be on your guard Fullmetal, the Freezing Alchemist isn't someone to take likely, he's survived the war in Ishbal through his talents and his unpredictable tactics." Hawkeye said as she came out in the open while pointing a gun at Isaac. Mustang looked at Hawkeye and said, "It's good to see your alive and well, first lieutenant." Hawkeye replied, "It was thanks to Hughes that I made it out of Bald's sight alive."

Hughes pops behind Roy and surprises him by yelling, "ROY, HOW GOES? Glad I came to help you out with the Freezer, huh? That was one hell of an assignment, but hey, could be your chance to earn that promotion!"

Mustang silently whispered to himself, "...pest."

"Hey dad, so I guess in the end, you were right about Bald being here." Sora said as he walked towards the group. Hughes smiled with great pride and said, "What can I say? I'm good at keeping track with the enemy!" As Sora conversed with the soldiers, Donald and Goofy approached Isaac, and Goofy said, "Well, best we get this gauntlet off before he wakes up."

"That's a good plan Goofy, but after you take the gauntlet, throw it over there and help me tie this guy up, I got to ask him something." Goofy nervously nodded and took Isaac's gauntlet. Donald quickly tied Isaac up and slapped his face, "Wake up scumbag!" The Freezer started regaining consciousness and looked up at the one who slapped him, "...w...what are you supposed to be, Chimeras?"

Goofy replied, "Well, we'd tell ya, but that would be muddling." Donald corrected Goofy, "(sigh) **MEDDLING**!" Donald looked Isaac in the eyes and asked, "OK, 'Freezer', I got some questions regarding a mouse...a mouse the size of a small child who speaks perfect English, wears a black cloak, and carries a funny looking sword. Have you seen anyone that fits the description?" Isaac shook his head, "Heh, your wasting your time duck, I haven't seen anyone or any**thing** that looked like a cross between a homeless looser and a disease ridden rat." Donald grabbed Isaac's collar and said, "WATCH IT YA CREEP! I'm not going to let you get away with saying that about my friend!"

Isaac spoke again, "Don't worry, I'm sure he's out there somewhere, probably being chased by a cat." Donald's anger rose even more as he readied his fist, "THAT DOES IT!" Donald threw a punch at Isaac's face, but was surprised to see a hand catch it, it was Goofy who stopped him. Goofy then pleaded to Donald, "Come on Donald, he doesn't know anything about the president. Let's just hand him over to the authorities."

(BLAM, BLAM)

Everyone was surprised as gunshots were made right between Goofy and Donald's legs!

Everyone looked up and saw a hooded figure with small steaming handguns. Sora recognized the figure, "That hood...wait, aren't you that hooded girl from the train we took earlier?" The hooded girl replied, "Sharp memory, but is your blade as sharp as my eyesight?"

(BLAM)

The hooded girl made another shot, this time, it was at Ed's left shoulder! Ed dropped to his knees in pain, "GAGH, Damn it!" Mustang looked at Hughes and said, "Get everyone out of here, we'll deal with her!" Hughes nodded and helped Al carry Edward out. Donald pointed his wand at the hooded girl and said, "That's just plain dirty! The guy's a jerk, but he's still one of our allies!" Goofy then said, "Sora, colonel, we'll hold her off while you get the prisoner and the first lieutenant out of here!"

(BLAM, BLAM, BLAM, BLAM, BLAM, BLAM)

Goofy and Donald dodged every last bullet and were shaking where they stood. The hooded girl looked at Sora and said, "I knew we'd meet again Sora, but who would have guessed that this was how we'd re-encounter each other?" She then shot through Isaac's ropes, releasing him from captivity. Isaac asked, "Who the hell are you?" The hooded girl replied, "All you need to know is that Cornello is waiting for you in Lior. Take the train and go."

Sora's eyes lit up, "Wait, Cornello? What does Cornello want with Isaac?" The hooded girl didn't reply, instead she pointed her guns at Mustang, "Make a move Keyblade Master, and I kill the colonel." Hawkeye pointed her gun at the hooded girl and said, "Try and you'll regret it." Even though Hawkeye's threat was lethal, the hooded girl wasn't twitching.

"Not just the colonel then...the Genomes as well." The hooded girl pointed one of her guns at Donald and Goofy, who were too scared to move. Donald realized what she said and asked, "Hey wait a minute! How did you-?" Before Donald could finish, the hooded girl kicked Donald and Goofy towards Mustang.

Isaac entered the train and headed for the front to start the engine. The hooded girl then said to Mustang, "I'm not the type to take hostages, so take your first lieutenant and the Genomes and leave." Mustang replied, "I'm sorry miss, but the man your assisting is a misguided State Alchemist, and I can't just let him escape. And if you continue to help him, you'll be involved with his crimes and his actions. And I'd hate to see a pretty young face like yours to be on a wanted poster-."

(BLAM)

Mustang saw the bullet pass right by his cheek, leaving a slight cut on his face. The hooded girl then said, "I said, 'take the first lieutenant and the Genomes and leave'!" After the demand, Sora asked, "Well, what about me?" The hooded girl replied, "You stay here until the train leaves. I want to make certain that you don't try anything."

Sora asked, "Wait! I thought you weren't the type to take a hostage!" The hooded girl replied, "You're not a hostage. We have business, and you won't leave until we're done, understand?"

Sora looked back at the colonel, "Sir?" Mustang then said to Sora, "We'll discuss this later. For now, we'll retreat, there's no chance we can make a move with her around. Sora, I'm trusting you to do what you can." After that, Mustang and Hawkeye grabbed and carried Donald and Goofy out of the train station. Sora turned back at the hooded girl, who was suddenly in front of him, "So, how do you feel right now? Scared? Confused? Uncertain?"

Sora quickly backed away when the girl tried to touch his face, "The Freezing Alchemist, he's a sicko who killed one of his own men, why are you helping him?" The hooded girl replied, "Because we need him...just as much as we need you and your Keyblade." The hooded girl pointed a gun at Sora's chest and said, "I don't want to hurt you, just listen to me and it'll be the end of both our problems." Sora was confused, "What do you mean 'OUR problems'?"

"For one, your memory loss."

Sora was startled by what the hooded girl said, "My...memory loss?" The hooded girl explained, "It's just as I feared, you lost all traces of who you were that day." Sora asked, "Why should it matter? I have a good life and a loving family, whatever memories I used to have don't amount to squat!" The hooded girl shook her head and said, "So your going to deny who you are?" Sora replied, "...What I deny...is who you think I am."

The hooded girl looked away and said with a saddened tone, "...I thought of you as a friend." She then points her gun at Sora and shot at him, though he was surprised by the sudden attack, he dodged the bullet, but she swiftly shot another shot at him, this time, at one of his legs, but due to his light feet, Sora was able to dodge the bullet successfully!

As Sora was in the air, he prepared to kick the hooded girl while she was busy reloading. She jumped aside after Sora's kick missed her and made a small crater where she originally stood. Sora ran at the hooded girl and swung his sword at her multiple times, forcing the girl to back-flip form every attack.

After she dodged another one of his attacks, he threw his Avenger at her while she was in the air, "Your new attacks are impressive, but I'm afraid..." The hooded girl then grabbed the blade and threw it back at Sora, who rolled out of the way. The girl then continued, "...Your Strike Raid is no longer affective." Then she darted at him and punched him in the face, the attack was followed by her grabbing him by the nose, pulling him towards herself, and finally, kneeing him in the gut!

The hooded girl asked, "Is this the best you can do Sora?"

Sora replied, "No...THIS IS!"

Sora took his Avenger and quickly stabbed the hooded girl through the stomach! The hooded girl looked at the Avenger, slowly took it out of her, to Sora's surprise, and explained, "This is a Keyblade Sora, not an actual weapon. In a fight like this, you have to injure your opponents, 'injure', not weaken them. The Keyblade is a weapon that drains the energy of the enemy, it doesn't cut, it doesn't bruise, it doesn't help you at all." The hooded girl finally took the Avenger out, and when she did, she stroke Sora's face with it, batting him away like a golf ball!

Sora tried to get up, then the hooded girl walked over to him and said, "Are you pretending? The Keyblade's damage to your face isn't nearly as painful as the real thing. All I did was drain what little strength you had." she then threw his Avenger back to him, "The keychain, take it off." Sora replied, "...I can't do that." The hooded girl asked, "If you remove the source of the Keyblade's power, then you can finish this fight. So why the yellow stripe, spiky?" Sora took his Avenger and replied, "I...am not a coward, but I'm not a killer either!"

The hooded girl asked, "How do you expect to stop me if you can't use a real sword?" Sora answered, "By fighting the old fashioned way!" Sora proceeded in throwing his sword at her again, and as she dodged the attack, the hooded girl said to him, "I told you, your Strike Raid won't work any-!" but before the hooded girl could finish, Sora tackled her, grabbed her by the waist, and threw her across the air, over the train.

Sora yelled out to her, "If you really thought of me as a friend, then why would you attack me? We met on this train and had a nice talk, we separated in this station, you knew my name, claiming that it was from the newspaper or something, and you hoped we'd meet again. But you shoved me in a situation like this without giving me a good explanation why. And you told me that we were once friends? If you're my friend, then why are you defending a murderer? It doesn't make sense!"

But before anything happened, the train started to move! Isaac finally had the train working and he was heading out to Lior. Sora jumped on the train and held on while trying to open a window to enter. The hooded girl took up her hand guns and pointed them at Sora, "GET OFF THE TRAIN!" As the train left the station, Sora replied, "MAKE ME, YOU LYING PSYCHO!"

The hooded girl held her guns at Sora's head while he was trying to enter the train, but when she was about to shoot...

**Come on Sora, it's time to go home!**

**But I heard you were looking for this shell!**

**Huh? What shell?**

**This one, it's a Thalassa Shell.**

The hooded girl was unable to pull the trigger on him, "You really don't remember me, or your past, thank goodness. Someday Sora, I'll tell you everything about the days we spent together...and how sorry I am." As she watched, Sora finally opened the window and entered the train. As he went inside, Sora said to himself, "Alright, I'm in! Now to track down that brain-freezing freak and throw him back in prison!"

Meanwhile, Alphonse was trying to stop the bleeding in Edward's shoulder. Al looked at Hughes, Donald, Mustang, Goofy, and Hawkeye, and asked, "Does anyone have a rag, a towel, anything? I have to cover the wound before it gets infected!" Hughes sighed and said, "Here Al, use my tie." As the younger brother tried to cover Ed's wound, Mustang heard a steam engine of a train! Donald grabs Goofy by the collar and walks toward the train station, "THAT DOES IT! Goofy, we're going in, and dragging that 'Smug Snowstorm' and the 'Hench-witch' out of there before they give us the slip!" Mustang looked at Hawkeye and said, "First Lieutenant, call for backup! We have to stop that train from leaving!"

As the colonel followed the Genomes, Hawkeye went to a nearby telephone booth and called the military for assistance, but she looked back at the station and thought to herself, _Colonel, please make it out alive._

End of Chapter 39

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**Next Chapter, Crimson sends the Remnants on their first assignment while Ed and Mustang get to know the survivors of Radiant Garden better...**

**Please Comment.**


	40. Chapter 40

**Last time, the Freezing Alchemist, Isaac McDougal, was apprehended by the Fullmetal Alchemist before he could make his escape. However, even though Hawkeye was safe and the danger had passed, there was still a looming threat watching them...**

**Out of the shadows came a barrage of bullets, bullets that pierced Edward's left arm. The shooter was a hooded teenage girl, who demanded Mustang to take his soldiers and the genomes out of the train station...except for Sora. As much as Mustang hated the decision, he had no choice but to comply, and get everyone out. As they left, so did Isaac, who used the train to make his escape.**

**Though he was a hostage, Sora wouldn't allow a murderer to escape, so he tries to stop the train. But the hooded girl stood in his way and revealed her reason for keeping Sora with her, to try and restore his memories. She told him that they were once old friends, but Sora couldn't believe someone who was willing to set a criminal free, so he called her a lying psycho and boarded Isaac's train.**

**The hooded girl however didn't stop him, instead, she lowered her firearm after remembering Sora for who he once was...her loving childhood friend. As she watched the train disappear, she promised Sora that someday, she will tell him everything...even how sorry she was.**

**Warning: Kingdom Hearts and Fullmetal Alchemist are both licensed by Square-Enix. The secondary licenses for both franchises are Disney (Kingdom Hearts), Aniplex, Bones Inc., and Funimation (Fullmetal Alchemist). **

**PS: There will be spoilers.**

* * *

Fullmetal Kingdom: The Fanfic

Chapter 40: Ansem's Research

While Sora was running through the train to get to Isaac, Crimson watched the Keybearer from his broken mirror while rubbing his chin. Crimson was also holding a strange orb with a small black orb with red pulses coming from it.

Crimson said to himself, "This incident of cat and mouse just got interesting. You've given me so much helpful information about you already, but I've watched enough of your feats and flaws. It's time for your second test to begin."

"REMNANTS, RAIN DOWN!"

The three brothers appear before the Golem King and bow before him. But Kadaj stood up and asked, "What do you want this time?" Crimson replied, "Rejoice my young friends, I have a task for you to perform. The task will be the Keyblade Master's second test." Kadaj shook his head, "A test...are you serious? We're not doing anything until you tell us where mother is!"

Crimson tried to calm Kadaj down, "Please little one, please. Good things come to those who wait. And if your patience lasts long enough, you will be rewarded with the location of your jelly doughnut."

Yazoo points his gun at Crimson, "I will not allow you to mock mother!" Loz then grabbed Crimson by the throat, "Take it back you meanie!" Crimson grabbed Loz's arm and said,"You realize this idea of threatening me is pointless, **RIGHT**?" The Golem King squeezed Loz's arm, forcing him to let go.

Then Crimson approached Kadaj and gave him the black orb, "This will be necessary to force the boy to take the test. Simply throw it at a civilian, tell him what's what, and watch the fun. That's all you need to do, but walk away now, and you'll never hear the location of your mother pass through my mask!"

Kadaj looked at the orb with curiosity, so Crimson whispered, "As a bonus, you can have a little fun with him. He will be heading for Lior, so it'll be quite a trip before he makes it. And in the meantime, you can toy with him, scare him, even frighten him, have as much fun with him as you want."

Kadaj smiled in an amused way and said, "I can barely trust you to keep your word, but...it would be fun to see why the Keyblade chose him...very well! We'll carry out your order, but don't be surprised if we have too much 'fun'." Kadaj then opens a portal and enters it, he is followed after by Loz and Yazoo.

Meanwhile, back in Central, Mustang, Donald and Goofy ran into the train station, only to see the train leaving!

Donald said to Mustang, "I'm getting on that train before it leaves sir! Come on Goofy!" As Goofy followed, Donald ran for one of the train's rails, "A-almost there!" Donald ran as fast as he could to catch up with the train, and then, he and Goofy jumped right for the train, but to their dismay, they were unable to grab the rail.

As the Genomes fell to the ground, Mustang watched as the train went farther and farther away...

"Well well, if it isn't Mustang and the Genomes. Why are you guys standing on the rails? Waiting for a train to catch you...or flatten you?" The colonel and the Genomes looked at the figure that came in and approached them, it was Leon.

"So, would you mind telling me what all the hubbub is about?"

After Mustang explained the situation, Leon shook his head in disappointment and said, "So your former war buddy escaped by train, and now he has the Keyblade Master as a hostage? Nice going guys, you just cost us our only hope." Donald angrily replied, "You think your the only one suffering? We need him to help us find the president!"

"Quit complaining, he's not a hostage."

Mustang and the others notice the hooded girl walking towards them. The colonel asked, "Where's the kid?" The hooded girl replied, "Sora had a train to catch, so he hopped on the same train Isaac highjacked. As we speak, the train is on it's way to the same station Sora came to in order to reach Lior, which I hear is in pretty bad shape because of you and the Fullmetal. And I wouldn't bother looking for him either, since your buddies in blue are also in Lior trying to keep the peace...by blowing the townspeople to pieces! So they'll probably mail him back to you in a box or two."

Mustang asked the hooded girl, "First you defend a traitor, then you wanted to be alone with Sora, and now you sent them both to Lior? Just what are you up to?" The hooded girl replied, "I'm only trying to redeem a life...that is all you need to know." after that, she disappeared and left Mustang and the others alone in the train station.

Goofy said to Mustang, "Gwarsh sir, maybe we should catch the next train to Lior and help Sora out." Mustang shook his head, "As long as the train is being used by Isaac, there's no telling when we'll get the chance. For now...we'll just have to hope for Sora to apprehend Isaac and bring him back alive."

Donald asked, "But...he's all alone! How can we be sure Isaac won't turn him into a smoothie?" Mustang replied, "I picked Sora for a reason, didn't I? He's been a shield for my men ever since Hughes brought him into our military forces, he's been through traps, chimeras, Golems, even alchemists with the red stone, and every time, he manages to make it out alive. He even stood by Ed when the runt through a fit about his height. It's a bit childish for me to say this, but I have a hunch that to him, catching Isaac won't be difficult."

As Mustang made his way out, Leon followed him and asked, "Colonel sir, I need to speak with you and the Genomes." Mustang looked at Leon and asked, "Alright then, what is it?" Leon answered, "I'm looking for someone..."

A few minutes later, Leon brought Mustang, Hughes, Hawkeye, Donald, and Goofy into a motel, where Aeris was sitting at one of the coffee tables. Leon walked up to Aeris and said, "We have one wounded Aeris, take care of him." Aeris looked behind Leon and noticed Alphonse Elric walk in with Edward in his arms. Aeris walks up to Al and examines Ed's wound on his left shoulder, "I'll see what I can do, bring him upstairs." Al nodded, "Y-yes mam!"

As the flower girl and Al went up the stairs to tend to Ed's injury, Mustang sat with Leon, Donald, and Goofy while Hughes went to a telephone to tell his wife about the current situation. Hawkeye took a chair and sat with the colonel to listen to the conversation.

Mustang asked, "So who's the lucky guy your looking for?" Leon answered, "You might have heard of him. Tanned skin, white hair, gold eyes like the Fullmetal's. Anyone you know fit that description?" Goofy realized who Leon was looking for, "Do ya mean Mr. Xehanort? He was at a party that the military hosted in his honor." Leon clenched his fist in anger, "...then he's already gone!"

Hawkeye then said, "Actually, he's still here in East City. He recently checked himself in this motel, where he'll be resting for tomorrow. When it's morning, he'll be heading to Central by train, but I doubt he knows about the station being closed off." Goofy asked, "Gwarsh, how do you know that?" Hawkeye replied, "I saw his name on the guest list here."

Curious about Hawkeye's explanation, Donald walked over to the cashier behind the desk and asked, "Is a guy named Terranzis Xehanort sleeping here?" The cashier looked at her small list of guests and replied, "Yes he is. Are you a friend?" Donald shook his head and waddled back. Donald took a deep breath and said to Hawkeye, "(sigh)...Good job '**Trigger Lady**'(Hawkeye:"WHAT?"). Anyway, Leon, what's got you all hissy all of a sudden? Did you and Xehanort break up or something?" Leon pounded his fist on the table and said, "LIKE I'D SHOW ANY FORM OF COMPASION FOR THAT-!"

Before Leon could continue, he noticed everyone in the hotel looking at him. So he sat back down and crossed his arms. Mustang smirked, "An attitude like that gets you plenty of time in prison, so if I were you, I'd tone it down." Leon took a deep breath and asked, "Colonel, you seem to be the type that knows anything, so can you tell me if Xehanort left anything?"

Mustang shook his head, "We haven't really been in the same room kid, and besides, Xehanort wasn't the kind of man who would confess his secrets. He's a gifted man that found a way to tamper with the mind and heart of a person. But lets cut the sweet talk kid, why are you after Xehanort?"

Leon replied, "...we lost our home, Radiant Garden, thanks to him. He kept the research to himself as soon as Ansem disappeared. He even hid inside of Ansem's castle while the Golems attacked and took it over, leaving no one alive...except for Xehanort! That was 9 years ago, and since then, we were tracking Xehanort down to look for some answers, and hopefully, the missing research."

Donald asked, "Research? What kind of research?" Leon explained, "The research that was hand-written by Xehanort's teacher, Ansem the Wise. Inside those notes holds the key to defeating the Golems once and for all. And it also had information on the heart and it's connections to alchemy." Mustang thought to himself, _A connection with alchemy and the heart? It sounds like Xehanort's talent in manipulating the human heart came from the research itself._

Mustang asked, "Leon, when you find the research, do you intend to learn the same alchemy Xehanort used?" Leon responded, "...It'll probably happen. The guy will probably use this as a defensive technique and brainwash anyone who tries to stand up to him, so I might as well-." Hawkeye suddenly interrupted Leon by saying, "It's never wise to play the same deck of cards as your opponent. If you play by his rules, no one wins. Using alchemy in a perverse way was what Xehanort wanted, and your telling us that you would want to do the same?"

Leon shook his head, "I don't want to control anyone! What I want is to free them from Xehanort's control." Donald pointed something out, "Leon, if Ansem made notes on the connections between alchemy and the heart, would it be possible to learn a way to restore the heart?" Goofy nodded, "Yeah, that would be more useful than playing copycat, now wouldn't it?"

Leon smiled, "Hmph, that's not a bad idea. I'm glad I came to you guys about this." Mustang asked, "Well before we can find the research, we have to have more evidence about Xehanort's involvement with the Golems." Leon's eyes popped with anger as he asked, "ARE YOU KIDDING? THE GUY IS GUILTY, HE HAS TO BE! He didn't use his alchemy to save us, no, he left us to the Golems! They never even approached Xehanort, it was like he was the ringleader of the whole circus!"

Mustang sat calmly in his seat and said to Leon, "A circus always has a ringleader, but no one knows what kind of circus he's leading. His actions are suspicious, but sometimes it takes more than a single person's opinion to bring out the truth. How does your friend Aeris feel about this? And this Cid might have a different story about your Xehanort." Leon asked the colonel, "...then can you ask him about Radiant Garden? Your a higher up, you can get close to him and find the answers out! Please colonel, we have to find out once and for all how we can save our home!"

Mustang looked at Leon as he begged him for assistance, "...If I do this, then you have to swear not to bring Sora in on your plans unless it's by my approval. Remember, he works with the Fullmetal, and anyone I see fit. Do we understand one another?" Leon nodded, "Thank you sir, Radiant Garden owes you and your military with our lives." Donald then adds, "Lets hope it doesn't come to that."

While Mustang and Leon shook hands in agreement, Aeris had Alphonse lay Edward on a bed with bandages while she placed a rag in warm water. As Ed rested, Al asked Aeris, "Mam, is there anything I can help you with?" Aeris replied, Squeeze the water out of this rag, fold it, and place it on your brother's head! Then leave the rest to me."

Confused, Al carries out the order and placed the rag on Ed's head. Aeris comes in the room and sits beside Edward, she stares at the bullet wound on his left shoulder and said, "Alphonse, somethings can be explained, and some can never be explained, but what I'm going to do is something you will understand when the time comes..."

As Al wondered what the flower girl meant, Aeris placed her hands on Ed's wound, closed her eyes, and silently whispered, "_**Cure**_**.**" And then a green light shined under her hands. The light shined brighter and brighter, until the whole room was filled with light.

After a few seconds, the light vanished, and Alphonse looked at Aeris as she removed her hands from Edward's shoulder to reveal...nothing.

Al said in amazement, "The skin...it's healed up!" Aeris then rubs her hand on Ed's head and smiled, "He's alright now, the wound is closed and he'll make a quick recovery in a few short minutes."

"**WHAZZAT ABOUT ME BEIN' SMAAAAAAAAAAAAAL?**"

Aeris jumped into Al's arms when Ed woke up so suddenly. Ed took a few deep breaths as he looked around, "Where...where am I? Alphonse? Who's the lady your holding?" Al explained, "Uh...well brother, thanks to her, the bullet wound on your left shoulder isn't-!" Suddenly, Aeris gave Al a hard nudge, making Al change his explanation, "IS NOT REAL! Yeah, you were just imagining things!"

As Ed gave Al a suspicious look, Aeris noticed that when she nudged the tall man in armor, there was an echo of sound, "Alphonse, your not in there, are you?" Al was surprised by Aeris's discovery, so he puts her back down and said to her, "Well, it's not something I can explain, but-"

"We performed Human Transmutation."

Aeris became startled by Ed's words and asked, "Is that why you have automail limbs, and why your brother is empty?" Ed nodded, "Yeah, we had it coming, that's for sure. Now, back to business, who are you and what the hell did you do to my shoulder?" Aeris replied, "Your recovery from the shot can't be explained, I'm sorry. As for who I am, I'm a friend of Sora's, and it is a pleasure to meet you Edward Elric."

Ed blushed, _For once, there's someone that doesn't confuse Al for me, I'M SO HAPPY!_

Aeris then giggled, "Honestly though, when we met earlier, I thought your younger brother was the Fullmetal Alchemist (giggle). I mean, his entire body IS made out of metal."

Ed's vein popped on his forehead, "_**He is NOT! HE IS NOT! HE IS NOT! I'M EDWARD ELRIC, ME, THE REAL DEAL, FULLMETAL! THAT HUNK OF METAL IS MY YOUNGER BROTHER, BUT DOES ANYONE TALK ABOUT HIM? NOOOOOOOOO, THEY THINK THE FULLMETAL'S AN ONLY CHILD OR SOMETHING! FOR GODS SAKE, WHEN WILL THOSE PEOPLE LEARN? WHY WON'T SOMEONE KNOW ME FOR MEEEEEEEEEEEEEE?**_"

Al shook his head in sorrow, "Oh brother."

End of Chapter 40 and the Jailbreak Arc

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**Next Chapter, Sora tries to reach the Freezing Alchemist, but runs into something even worse...**

**Please Comment.**


	41. Chapter 41

**Last time, Crimson observed Sora's battle with the mysterious girl in the hood, and after the Keybearer went into the train that Isaac stole, he ordered the Remnants (Kadaj, Loz, and Yazoo) to track him down. The Golem King also gave Kadaj a strange orb of unknown power, and told him to use it on the nearest person he sees, in exchange for following his orders, Crimson promised to tell Kadaj where he could find his mother.**

**Back in East City, the hooded girl left Mustang with news about Sora pursuing Isaac. After that, Leon and Aeris arrived to meet with the colonel about Xehanort, who they suspect to be responsible for the destruction of their old home, Radiant Garden. Leon believes that Xehanort's skills in alchemy came from the research of his former teacher, Ansem the Wise, and if Mustang could find more information on Xehanort, then there would be a possibility of restoring the damage he made.**

**Meanwhile, Aeris used a strange form of magic to heal Edward's bullet wound. When the Fullmetal awoke, Aeris told him what recently happened to Sora after they left the train station...**

**Warning: Kingdom Hearts and Fullmetal Alchemist are both licensed by Square-Enix. The secondary licenses for both franchises are Disney (Kingdom Hearts), Aniplex, Bones Inc., and Funimation (Fullmetal Alchemist). **

**PS: There will be spoilers.**

* * *

Fullmetal Kingdom: The Fanfic

Chapter 41: Wrecking the Train

_On the day Sora and the Elrics defeated Father Cornello and left Lior, the townspeople sought out the fake prophet in order to punish him for his deceiving and sinister plot. But as they looked around the temple for him, they were unable to find any trace of Cornello. All they could find were corpses of small birds on the ground._

_But just when they were about to give up, Cornello revealed himself...in traveling attire!_

_Father Cornello explained that he went on a voyage across Amestris to help others who were suffering from pain and sorrow, and as it turned out, he forgot to tell his people that he left. The townspeople at first thought he was lying again, but Cornello surprised everyone by picking up one of the bird's bodies, and in an instant, he sent it, along with the other dead birds, flying into the air, alive and well._

"_It seems the devil has cast his evil on this town while I was away, but I'm glad that your all safe."_

_The people smiled and cheered for the return of their caring prophet, but while they cheered, the birds that Cornello restored flew away from Lior..._

_...and popped like balloons!_

_As time went by, the townspeople of Lior trusted Cornello again and believed in his magic, but the military arrived and attacked the town for sheltering a man who was guilty of murdering some of their own men. Little do both sides realize that both Lior's citizens and the military were deceived..._

_After a few days, The train to Lior was highjacked by the escaped convict, Isaac McDougal, who was once a State Alchemist until he founded a rebellion filled with outlaws and turncoats bent on bringing the Amestris Military to it's knees. The former State Alchemist was advised by a mysterious teenage girl to take the train and head to Lior, where Cornello was waiting. But as he did, one of the military's men, a young bodyguard named Sora, jumped into the train to try and apprehend the criminal and bring him to justice before he could escape..._

_This happened recently, _and will now continue...

"HE DID WHAT?"

Aeris explained, "Well Edward, Sora hitched a ride on the train Isaac took to try and arrest him." Ed crossed his arms in anger, "He's a dead man! Isaac's not some Golem or money-grubbing thug, he's an alchemist, A REAL ALCHEMIST! If that idiot even tries to catch Isaac by surprise, he's got a chance in becoming a snow cone!"

Aeris tried to calm Ed down, "P-please Edward, try to calm down. I'm sure Sora will be alright, after all, he was your bodyguard for some time, he must have used some impressive skills to have kept you alive." Ed replied, "(sigh) Not to ruin your hope and faith, but Sora's more of a hand-to-hand combatant and a swordsman, the minute he tries to get near enough to attack, that living refrigerator will find his chance and turn Sora into a Popsicle!"

Ed then realized, "Wait! Why am I even talking to you? I don't know who you are, or what your name is!" Aeris approached the Fullmetal Alchemist and shook his hand, "I'm sorry, I can be very forgetful sometimes. My name is Aeris Gainsborough, I'm a flower girl who came across you and your brother while you had that painful injury on your shoulder. I'm happy to say that you won't need to worry about that hole in your shoulder anymore since I closed the wound for you."

Ed looked at his shoulder and looked back at Aeris, "You...**closed** the hole in my shoulder? Pfff, you expect me to believe THAT?"

Aeris nodded, so Ed shook his head in disagreement, "First of all...Aeris. Transmuting human skin is a forbidden form of alchemy called Human Transmutation. I'm sure you've heard of the consequences of what happens. You even try to transmute a whole human body, and you end up giving up a part of yourself to complete the transmutation. And here you are, saying you closed the bullet hole in my shoulder without sewing me up? THAT IS IMPOSSIBLE!"

Aeris sat down and said, "Edward, I know this is hard to except but please, know that I have helped you through my abilities and be thankful for it. You are worried about Sora, right? So can't you forget this and try to save him?" Ed noticed Aeris staring at him with eyes that would weaken even the most enraged human being, so he blushed and said, "F-fine! Thanks for healing me!"

Aeris smiled and said, "(giggle) your welcome." Al then said, "Well brother, we should probably talk to the colonel about saving Sora." Ed shook his head, "We don't have to worry Al, Sora's been through Hell and back, so...It's like Aeris says, the idiot's been my bodyguard for a while and he's used some pretty impressive techniques to get us in and out of many tight spots. I'll be patient for a little while longer...BUT IF HE TAKES MORE THAN THREE DAYS TO COME BACK, I'M HEADING OUT TO LIOR AND DRAGGING HIS ASS BACK MYSELF!"

"(ACHOO) hmm, must have been allergies." Sora said after sneezing.

The sun rose as Sora walked into the next trolley while trying to reach Isaac. The young Keyblade Master looks through a window and sees the same dessert he saw while on his first mission as a bodyguard, "Lior, we're almost there. But what does Cornello want with the Freezing Alchemist? Isaac's not what I would call a '**team-player**', he's more of the '**take-no-prisoners-player**'."

As Sora walked through the train, out in the dessert, the Remnants (Kadaj, Loz, and Yazoo) spied on the train with binoculars while their faces lit with eagerness...

"When will the 'fun' begin brother?" Yazoo asked.

Kadaj replied, "...As soon as he enters the next car."

Sora exits the car and makes his way into the next one, where he rubbed his eyes and said, "(yawn) I haven't slept in days. I was too busy protecting tiny alchemists and chasing escaped convicts to even notice that the sandman was calling. (yawn) But I won't be defeated by a lack of sleep, besides, I owe it to my dad to make it back home with that sicko in custody! And besides, there's no water out here for him to use, what's he gonna do? Spit on me?"

(gun fire)

Just as Sora was finished talking, a large number of bullets came through the windows! He ducks and covers his head while saying out loud, "I SAID SPIT NOT SHOOT!"

Meanwhile, Isaac was inside the locomotive, filling the engine with more coal, "Faster, damn it! FASTER!" As he kept filling the engine, he thought to himself, _What am I still doing this for? The girl told me to take this train to the station closest to Lior, and for what? A meeting with some guy named Cornello? Whatever he has to say to me had better be worth it!_

Isaac then heard gunfire and rushed to the window to see what was going on. But before he came close, a bullet passed by the window, "If you want to live, keep moving!" Isaac asked, "Who's there? Are you with the girl?" the voice replied, "...y-yeah, sure, we're hired protection! Now keep yourself inside until the train stops!"

As Isaac went back to filling the engine, Sora stayed down to avoid the bullets flying though the windows. He thought to himself, _Why are people shooting at me? I'm trying to catch a criminal, not run away from a bride. Could they be hired help, or maybe followers from the same rebellion Isaac made? _Sora reached the exit and slowly opened the door. He poked his head though to see if any of the shooters were there, and to his relief, non were there.

But then again, the sound of bullets wasn't heard either. Sora thought to himself, _This isn't right, it's too quiet. I'd better be careful, there's no telling when they might attack again..._

"So nice of you to make it."

Sora felt something touch his back, it was a handgun.

"Keep your eyes on the next door."

The gunman pushed Sora forward and said to him, "Open the door." Sora reached for the door to the next car and opened it. As he entered, he saw two silver haired men, waiting for him to come inside.

"Sit."

Sora sat down in the nearest seat, then the short haired young man snatched the Avenger away. The gunman who led Sora into the car then sat in the seat in front of him and smiled, "So...here we are. It's interesting to see the new Keyblade Master. (sigh) but alas, you are many years away from understanding the responsibilities that were handed to you."

Sora asked, "What would you know about my Avenger?" The gunman replied, "We've known about your new toy for sometime, Sora. Yes, we even know who you are, Keyblade Master. But it IS a little unfair that we know about you, isn't it? Allow me to introduce ourselves, the one with long hair is Yazoo, the strongman holding your sword is Loz, and I am Kadaj, and like you, I have a talent for swordsmanship. Together, we are the Remnants." Sora asked, "Alright, well...Kadaj, if you were like me, you'd let me go so I can stop the Freezing Alchemist!"

Kadaj shook his head, "(sigh) sorry, but I have my orders. But you know, we do share MANY traits, you and I. Like for instance, we both have a desire for Truth and Justice, the **truth** people are afraid to hear, and the **justice** we deliver to the unjust. We can't stand oppression, and we would do anything to stop it. And when it comes to differences, we, the strong, unite and protect the weak, the ones who made the choice to leave. It is the same for Isaac, for my brethren and I are charged with protecting him from those who feel threatened by his choice, so threatened that they would use anyone at their disposal to 'dispose' of that defect. So tell me Sora, are you after Isaac because he chose to leave? Chasing after someone just because they think differently, that would put you in league with those villains from the military, wouldn't it?"

Sora answered, "A villain kills innocent people, a villain uses maniacs like you for profit, and a villain never admits the truth. 'The truth he's afraid to hear' is that he is a sick, murderous, traitor who is completely out of his mind! So if you're too busy to notice his actions, then I guess we aren't alike, are we?"

Kadaj replied, "(sigh) Despite his heroic action, you just can't accept it. You've already chosen to follow the villains." He stood up from his seat, walked a few inches away, and stared at the sunrise while saying to Sora, "You humans...always fearing what you can't understand. I don't feel like talking to you anymore. So despite Crimson's orders-."

"You guys are working for that 'Two-Faced' jerk?"

Loz kicked Sora back down in his seat so Kadaj would finish, "_**AS I WAS SAYING!**_ Despite our orders, you have deliberately bored us...to the point where we can just throw you out of the train...for the hell of it."

**Fun's over kids, I want him alive.**

Suddenly, Kadaj felt a sharp pain in his chest, "W-what? Ugh-AGH, AAAAAAAGH!" Sora watched in horror as Kadaj and his brothers started screaming in pain and falling to the floor. Kadaj said out loud, "C-Crimson...bastard...he's a worthless cause...we need to remove him...and...his..." Kadaj fainted before he could finish, as Loz and Yazoo.

Sora thought, _What's wrong with these guys? Were they suffering from a heart attack? Whatever it is, it's given me a chance to escape!_ He then stood up, walked over to the unconscious Loz, and took his Avenger back.

Suddenly, the Keyblade Master heard something, "...mo...ther..."

Sora turns around and sees Kadaj trying to get up, "(choking)...don't think...you can...keep her from us, Crimson." Sora watched as Kadaj took his sword out and stood up straight. Kadaj looked at his brethren, wondering if they were recovering from whatever their new employer did to them, but to his dismay, Loz and Yazoo were unable to wake up.

"Crimson kidnapped your mom, didn't he?" Sora asked.

Kadaj looked at Sora with eyes filled with tears...then with untamed raged. Kadaj's hand started to tremble, and to Sora's surprise, the Remnant's eyes were glowing green. Kadaj's body then started to let out some black steam, Sora thought, _This guy...he's got steam coming out of his body! Just like Tidus when he was being controlled!_

Kadaj sneered at Sora, "Don't try to sympathize with me...TRAITOR!"

In Kadaj's vision, Sora's image changed into another figure's form, he had blond hair, a purple sleeveless shirt, a large metal pad on his left shoulder, black pants and boots, a strange looking belt, and green eyes, just like Kadaj and his brothers.

A maddened Kadaj pointed his sword at Sora and yelled, "Mother's banishment from this world wasn't enough for you, was it? Now your hunting your family? WE NEED HER, AND YOU WON'T GET IN OUR WAY! **CURSE YOU BROTHER, CURSE YOU! RAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAGH!**"

Sora asked, "Kadaj, what are you doing? I'm not your brother, we've never even met until recently-!" Kadaj interrupted Sora by charging at him, "I DON'T WANT TO HEAR IT!" Sora took out his Avenger and prepared himself, "No choice, I'll have to fight."

End of Chapter 41

* * *

**Next Chapter, an old friend appears to offer Sora a hand...**

**Please Comment.**


	42. Chapter 42

**Last time, Sora ran through the train to try and catch Isaac before the train could stop at the station. But he was ambushed by the Remnants, Kadaj, Loz, and Yazoo. After avoiding a barrage of bullets, the Keyblade Master was finally captured by Kadaj and his brothers. Kadaj then tried to reason with Sora, and convince him to fight on their side. However, Kadaj's words don't lure Sora in, so the silver-haired swordsman decided to get rid of the Keybearer...**

**But suddenly, he and his brothers felt a sharp pain in their hearts! Crimson gave them an order, and he wasn't pleased with their disobedience. So the brothers fell down, unconscious, except for Kadaj, who started hallucinating, and beleived that Sora resembled a traitor from the past...**

**Warning: Kingdom Hearts and Fullmetal Alchemist are both licensed by Square-Enix. The secondary licenses for both franchises are Disney (Kingdom Hearts), Aniplex, Bones Inc., and Funimation (Fullmetal Alchemist). **

**PS: There will be spoilers.**

* * *

Fullmetal Kingdom: The Fanfic

Chapter 42: A Friend in Need...

Ed stormed through the halls to reach his superior's office while thinking, _Grand's a jerk and all, but he's serious when it comes to the military and it's activities. If Marcoh IS a deserter, then there's only one sleazeball I know that might know where Marcoh is hiding!_

Ed finally reaches the office and opens the doors, "Colonel, I need to ask you something!"

While signing a few sheets of paper, Mustang replied, "I have my hands full Fullmetal, so make it quick. DAMN IT, I DON'T HAVE TIME FOR THIS CRAP!" Hawkeye silently reminded Mustang, "Colonel, the door is still open." Mustang froze as he looked out of the door Ed opened and saw the faces of many of his fellow soldiers giving him looks of doubt and fear...

"...(ahem) and THAT's what made my day."

As the soldiers walked away, Ed walked before Mustang's desk and asked, "Colonel, about the information regarding Marcoh..." Mustang stopped signing the papers and said to Ed, "It's like I said to you before. I have never heard the name 'Marcoh', and I have been looking through the records and files regarding anyone with that name, but after many wasted hours...well, you get the idea."

Ed slammed his hands on the desk, "Do you expect me to believe that? You knew him Colonel, you can't hide that from me! Hell, even Grand knew him, he said he was some deserter who abandoned the military!" The colonel's eyebrows rose in amusement, "A deserter? Hmm...sorry, doesn't ring a bell."

"Your not going to talk? FINE! I'll find the info myself since your too busy to care!"

As Ed stormed off, Mustang went back to work, and then chuckled, "He doesn't believe me, does he?" Hawkeye asked, "What do you mean sir?" Mustang answered, "Ed's going down to the file room and the record room to find anything related to Marcoh, it's crazy! Not to mention a waste of time." Hawkeye asked, "All the information was confiscated by Grand, wasn't it?"

Mustang nodded, "Marcoh was another dog whipped by his cruel master. I know I'll regret hiding this from Ed, but he's bound to know the truth eventually. Marcoh never had any intentions on coming back to a master that uses him for blood and power."

"**BLEED BEFORE MY POWER!**"

Kadaj kept swinging his sword in anger while Sora tried to move out of the way. Sora however had already been attacked several times by Kadaj's sword, leaving him barely able to hold his own against the young Remnant.

Sora took out his Avenger and deflected one of Kadaj's attacks, he then said to him, "What's up with you? You guys held me here, then threatened to kill me, fell down unconscious, then you woke up, and now your calling me 'brother' and 'traitor' while swinging your funny 2-bladed sword like crazy? WHAT DID I DO TO SET YOU OFF?"

Kadaj ignored Sora's question and grabbed Sora by the neck! He proceeded to choking the young Keyblade Master, all the while saying, "I'm...I'm really glad your here brother...I'M SO HAPPY!" Kadaj dropped his sword and used both his hands to strangle Sora!

As Kadaj choked Sora, Crimson was watching from his Shattered Mirror with disbelief in his eyes, "Amazing, simply amazing. The strain I put on those brothers was enough to knock them unconscious, all except one. Unfortunately, Kadaj's resistance took an unforeseen toll on his mental state, as well as his eyes."

The Phantom Blott approached his master and asked, "Sire, while Kadaj was distracted, I took the liberty of bringing his siblings back here. But before I treat their wounds, I wanted to ask whether or not Kadaj will join them. From this point of view, it appears his injuries are not as severe as his brothers." Crimson chuckled, "He'll join his brothers as soon as I'm finished with him! The disobedient brat has crossed the line, damaging my prize like it was a piece of garbage. Blott, I'll be back soon."

But just when Crimson opened a portal, the Phantom Blott spotted something on the Shattered Mirror, "Sire, there's someone approaching Kadaj!" Crimson closed the portal and rushed to the mirror, "Is it Isaac?" The Blott shook his head, "No my lord, it's a-!"

Back in the train, Sora was trying to pry Kadaj's hands off his neck, but Kadaj was determined to kill his target no mater what. Sora's strength was starting to give out, but suddenly, a fist came in contact with Kadaj's cheek, forcing the mad swordsman to release Sora.

"There you are! What's going on?"

Sora rubbed his eyes and looked at the one who saved him. To his surprise, the figure standing before him was non other than Riku, Sora's best friend, as well as the one who set fire to their home.

Sora reached out to Riku, and pulled his cheeks!

"HEY, HEY, CUT IT OUT!" Riku said when he knocked Sora's hands away.

He helped Sora up and gave him a Hi-Potion, "You don't look too good, was that guy over there too much for you? Sora? Hey, what's wrong?" Sora asked, "Is it really you? I'm not dreaming...am I?" Riku smiled and replied, "I hope not. It took forever to find you, you know? I was looking all over Aerugo for you, and you were in Amestris the whole time! Guess the military still-."

Sora hugged his friend in joy and cried, "Riku, your alright! I thought you burned to death in that fire, and the way you were acting, I couldn't understand! I thought something terrible happened to you, but here you are, cool-headed as always!" Riku nervously patted Sora on the head, "S-stop it, you knucklehead! I'm OK, see? So let me go already!"

"**Brother...**"

Riku and Sora were surprised when Kadaj stood up and attacked them, however, Riku caught the sword and kicked Kadaj away! Seeing Riku play with Kadaj's sword made Sora think, That's Riku alright! Nobody fights like he does. He sees a weak point in the enemy's attack, then he counters it.

"Not bad for a sissy. But you're in big trouble pal. See, this here's a good friend of mine, and I can't just let you get off Scott-free for what you did to him. So now...you're gonna pay!"

Riku threw Kadaj's sword through a window and charged at his target. But just before Riku could get his hands on him, Kadaj kicked Riku away! Sora catches his friend and says to him, "Careful Riku, he's not human, and he's an expert at combat." Riku asked, "Not human? Seriously? But he looks-" Sora explained, "I know, he's got the appearance of a human, but something about him, I don't know, his eyes, his hair, he and his brothers are completely different from the people we fought with during our years in the Y. O. U. T. H. Orphanage!"

"Uh...what brothers?"

As Riku and Sora were startled by the disappearances of both Loz and Yazoo, Kadaj extended his hand to a window...

(CRASH!)

And suddenly, his sword returned to his hand!

Kadaj smiled and said, "Oh, my naive sir. I am beyond that of ANY human. I AM ONE OF JENOVA'S SEEDS!" Kadaj leaps towards the two assassins in an attempt to finish Sora off, but Riku quickly retaliates by pulling out a strange sword and blocking the attack! Riku then asked, "If you're beyond a human, why aren't you up in the sky with the rest of the gods, huh? Why are you picking on us?"

Back inside Crimson's Castle, the king of the Golems asked the Blott, "Phantom Blott, who is this little troublemaker?" The Blott replied, "He seems to be an acquaintance of the Keyblade Master. I believe that he is one of the orphans from the same orphanage that raised the Keybearer." Crimson then raised his fists in the air in anger and said, "AWW HELL'S BELLS, THIS SUCKS! Everybody's messing with my plans!"

Crimson turns back at the Phantom Blott, "No more waiting around! Bring that Silver-haired Stooge back here, NOW!" The Phantom Blott said to Crimson, "But sire, his sight has returned. And he has more than enough strength to finish both of them-."

"I hate repeating myself Phantom Blott! I want the Keyblade Master alive, and if he dies, then my plans will be ruined! **BRING KADAJ BACK HERE BEFORE HE RUINS EVERYTHING!**"

Kadaj and Riku began clashing their blades with one another, each attack was blocked by the other as they continuously swing their swords. Kadaj said to Riku, "There's no point in protecting him. After all, death never sleeps!" Riku replied, "I admit, death can't be stopped, but it can be delayed."

Riku then found an opening and grabbed Kadaj by the wrist, then he tossed him out of the train by throwing him through a window!

"Delayed, bitch!"

As Kadaj was sent flying through the window, he thrusts his sword into one of the train's cars and said, "Don't worry mother, I won't quit yet-!"

**I'm afraid it's too late for that!**

As Kadaj looked around for the one who spoke to him, the same pain he felt earlier came back, forcing him to let go of his sword. As he fell, a large cloak of darkness swallowed him and took his sword as well...

Riku walked towards Sora, who was having some trouble standing, "Here, I'll help you up. In the meantime, here's another Hi-Potion." Riku put Sora's right arm over his shoulder and carried him into the next car. Sora drank the item Riku gave him and said, "Thank you, Riku." Riku replied, "Any time partner."

As the duo went to the next car, the train was arriving at the train station. Isaac looked out and saw the station, "I'm almost there! Once I arrive, I'll hitch a ride from one of the taxi drivers, then I can reach Lior, where this Cornello guy is waiting!"

After entering the next car, Sora said to Riku, "By the way, I was chasing a traitor of the military. He highjacked this train in order to get to Lior." Riku asked, "You mean the desert city you told me about a while ago, where you confronted a fake priest and crushed his cult?" Sora nodded, "Yep, but it seems he's still in business. I overheard a conversation in Xenotime about Cornello returning to power after performing a new miracle, he used his alchemy to bring a few dead birds back to life, and then, the people's faith in him was restored. Those people just can't admit the truth, they can't see that he's lying to them!"

Riku tried to say something to cheer his friend up, "Well, look on the bright side, we're going to Lior anyway. Not only is this your chance to arrest this Isaac dude, but we can also show Cornello's real face to the people of Lior."

Just then, Sora and Riku felt the train come to a stop.

"Looks like we've arrived." Sora then replied, "You can let me down now. I can walk on my own." As Riku lets him down, Sora takes out his Avenger and said, "Let's hurry Riku, Isaac's escaping!" As Sora ran, Riku noticed the change in the Avenger's appearance, but he decided to put off asking Sora about the sword until they complete their task.

As the train came to a halt, one of the conductors came up to Isaac, who just came out of the train. The conductor asked, "My word! What is a soldier doing using a train?" Isaac replied, "It's just business, sir. I came on a mission to see someone in Lior, and I need transportation." The conductor nodded, "O-of course my friend. I'll get to the office and call one of our taxi drivers. But I should warn you, Lior is currently in a state of war with the very military you serve, you might be in danger!"

Isaac looked at the conductor with a grim look, "I'm a State Alchemist, little man! Such insects aren't a match for us."

As soon as Isaac and the conductor went into the station, Sora and Riku came out of the train and looked around for Isaac. Riku then asked, "So Sora, what does this guy look like?" Sora replied, "You mean Isaac? Well he's wearing a uniform, the same ones a State Alchemist would wear, he has a cowlick, oh yeah, no eyelashes, he kinda has a menacing look..."

"You mean that guy over there?"

Sora looked at the direction Riku was pointing and saw the man they were after, "It's Isaac, it's really him! Nice job Riku!" Riku patted his friend on the back, "No problem dude, now lets get'm!"

Isaac was walking with one of the taxi drivers, who was just unlocking the door to the car, when suddenly, Isaac heard something from behind, "Isaac McDougal, (gasp) by order of Colonel Roy Mustang of (gasp) the State Military, I (gasp) hereby (gasp), oh God, I need to take a breather!" Isaac smiled and pulled out a bottle of water, "Exhausted? Alright, HAVE A DRINK!" Isaac then clapped his hands, opened the bottle, and threw a large amount of water at Sora.

With water all over him, Sora asked, "Is this the best you can do without your stupid gauntlet?" Isaac was still smiling, to Sora's surprise. And then, the water on Sora suddenly started to freeze over him! Isaac laughed and said, "You should've stayed back at East City, kid! AT LEAST YOU HAD A BETTER CHANCE OF HIDING FROM THE COLD CLUTCHES OF DEATH!" Isaac turned towards the taxi driver and snatched the keys to the car from him, then he stole the taxi car and headed to Lior, while leaving Sora to his fate.

End of Chapter 42

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**A soldier brings a surprise over to the Eastern HQ while Sora continues to follow the Freezing Alchemist...**

**Please Comment.**


	43. Chapter 43

**Last time, Edward went to Mustang for answers regarding Marcoh, however, the colonel still wouldn't give him any information, saying that he never heard of Marcoh. So Ed went straight to the file and record room to search for ANYTHING about Marcoh...**

**Back at the train, a maddened Kadaj had Sora beaten until a surprise ally came to save the young Keybearer...Riku. Sora was surprised and relieved to see his best friend alive and mentally well, but unfortunately, Kadaj's sight and mind were working again, and that made him even more lethal! Riku fought the silver-haired Remnant while Crimson teleported his brothers back to his castle. Eventually, Kadaj himself was brought back to the castle, leaving Riku to tend to Sora's wounds.**

**After a few minutes, the train stopped, and Isaac was heading out to Lior via taxi. But before Isaac could get in, Sora attempted to arrest him. But Isaac anticipated Sora's arrival, and used a bottle of water to freeze Sora's body in ice! Isaac then drove away, leaving Sora to freeze to death...**

**Warning: Kingdom Hearts and Fullmetal Alchemist are both licensed by Square-Enix. The secondary licenses for both franchises are Disney (Kingdom Hearts), Aniplex, Bones Inc., and Funimation (Fullmetal Alchemist). **

**PS: There will be spoilers.**

* * *

Fullmetal Kingdom: The Fanfic

Chapter 43: A Friend in Deed?

In Central City, one of the soldiers, Kain Fuery, was chosen to aid a handful of soldiers while they gather fingerprints in the train station. Mustang made it clear to them that he wanted to know the identity of the hooded girl that aided Isaac in his escape, and possibly kidnapped Sora.

All the soldiers gathered as much as they could in the crime scene, and as they searched, the puppy that aided Sora, Donald, Goofy, and the Elric Brothers, was sniffing around the station, looking for food. The puppy even approached some of the soldiers to see if any of them had any morsels to spare, but sadly, they had no interest in giving their food to a stray dog.

But when the puppy approached Fuery, the young soldier smiled and offered the dog a small piece of beef jerky, "Here you go little guy. Hmm? Where's your collar?" Fuery realized that the small puppy was homeless and without an owner. So he thought for a while and said, "It's alright little guy, I'll help you find a home."

Later that afternoon, Fuery returned to Central HQ and presented his information to his fellow soldiers in one of the offices. But to the surprise of one of the soldiers, Heymans Breda, Fuery had something else to present...

"...W-WH-W-W-WHAT'DA H-HELL IS A THING LIKE THAT DOING INSIDE HQ?"

Breda screamed in terror and left away from the puppy, he even jumped on top of a cabinet to stay away from the little dog.

Fuery looked at the dog, then at Breda, and asked, "Uh...2nd Lieutenant, are you...scared of puppies?" Breda replied, "HE'S TRICKING YOU! DOGS AREN'T CAPABLE OF FEELINGS, THEY CHEW STUFF, STUFF LIKE YOUR FOOD, YOUR CLOTHES, YOUR WORK! THEY'RE BARBBARIANS, I TELL YA!"

While Breda was making hand signals at the dog, telling it to 'shoo' and 'go away', Hawkeye entered the office along with two other soldiers named Jean Havoc and Vato Falman. Jean asked, "Geez Breda, what's gotten into your lunch today?" Breda replied, "Havoc, it's running loose! Th-th-there's nothing protecting us! OH MY GOD, IT HEARD EVERYTHING!"

Havoc, Falman, and Hawkeye looked down to where Breda was pointing, and there of coarse, was the small puppy. Hawkeye asked, "Falman, explain this." Falman looked at the dog and said, "It is a dog, lieutenant, carnivorous canine, I believe the maiden name was-." Hawkeye shook her head, "That's not what I meant Falman. You got to loosen up."

Fuery picked up the little dog and said, "Sorry guys, I found him on the streets." Falman asked, "Sergeant Major Kain Fuery, what is the meaning of this?" Hawkeye even said, "You do know that there's a no-pet policy in our building, don't you?" Fuery explained, "I-I'm sorry, it's just that well, he doesn't have a home, I felt sorry, and that's why I came here."

Hawkeye said to Fuery, "That doesn't mean you can bring it here, Fuery." Feury looked down in disappointment, "I know, and the dorms won't ever allow this little guy to be in their building...And that's why I came here to talk to you guys!" The soldiers gave a confused look at Fuery as he explained, "You see, I was hoping to meet with you guys to ask if any of you can look after him." Falman waved his hand and said, "Sorry, but I live in the dorms to." even Breda refused, "NO WAY! I HATE THOSE BEASTS!"

Havoc took the dog from Fuery, "Don't worry, I'll take him off your hands. Unlike chicken-boy here, I like dogs." Fuery smiled, "Gosh, thanks Havoc, and you don't have to worry about him, he's very sweet." Havoc replied, "...Yep, that's what I've heard from the citizens of Xing, sweet as pudding. I hear they taste even better when stirred fried."

"**WH-WHAT DID YOU SAY?**"

Havoc answered, "I said what I said, dogs are delicious. Yes sir, in the east, they raise'em as a delicacy...'specially these plump ones." Hawkeye swiftly took the puppy away from Havoc and gave him back to Fuery, "Let's try and find a BETTER home for it."

After that, Fuery came into the colonel's office to present what he found in the train station. Mustang asked, "So, do you have anything?" Fuery nodded, "Yes sir, the fingerprints from the station are right here." Mustang smiled as he was given the photos of the fingerprints, "Hopefully, we can find out a bit more from our trigger-happy teenager."

"Excuse me sir." Mustang and Fuery looked at Hawkeye as she entered the office, "He's here." Mustang smiled, "Sergeant Major, will you excuse us?" Fuery nodded and left. As Fuery came through the door, he passed by a tall man with tanned skin and silver hair, who was carrying a small briefcase.

The tall man entered and said, "Colonel Mustang, my train seems to be absent. I hope you brought me here to tell me why." Mustang answered, "I assure you Mr. Xehanort, the answers will come momentarily, but first, there is something I would like to discuss with you..."

Meanwhile, back in the train station near Lior, Sora watched helplessly as Isaac drove towards Lior while his body was being encased in ice. "Sora!" Riku looked at the ice building up around his friend, so he took his new weapon out and tried to break the ice off of Sora. Riku kept swinging his blade, trying to save his friend, but the ice was still covering Sora's body. Riku shook his head and said, "This was unexpected, alchemy that builds up and up and continues to grow. Don't worry Sora, I'll get you out, it's a long-shot, but I'm not the type to give up."

Riku took a few steps back and took a deep breath, and to Sora's surprise, Riku clapped his hands, like an alchemist...

Riku then pointed his blade at Sora and grasped the eyeball part of his sword. Then, a large mass of black mist started covering the blade, then the sword began letting out purple bolts of lightning. Riku looked at Sora and yelled, "Clear the ice, FIRA!" The strange force surrounding the sword became red flame that shot out of the blade and right at Sora!

To Sora's surprise, the flame swiftly melted the ice that covered him!

The Keyblade Master fell over, barely able to move after being frozen for a long time. Riku walked over to him and said, "Just relax, here, put your hands over this." Riku pulled out a lighter and brought out a small fire. Sora slowly moved his hands near the fire, Riku smiled and said, "This fire's small, but it should keep you warm enough." Riku then grabbed the fire from the lighter and grasps Sora's hand, and then, a transmutation circle came on Riku's hand...

The fire in Riku's hand began to dissolve, and to Sora's amazement, his hand was started to warm up, as was the rest of his body. Sora's cold status was cured by Riku's mysterious gift.

Sora stood up in amazement and said, "R-Riku...what...what was that you did just now?" Riku replied, "Alchemy, I think. I used the heat source of the fire to restore the heat inside of you. You were freezing to death." Riku then looked over the dessert and saw a small city, "So, that's where the Freezer guy is going?" Sora nodded, "Yes, apparently Cornello's looking for a new follower, this time, he's looking for one who's politically mad. Unless we have a ride, we'll dry up out there."

Riku smiled and pointed towards the station, "So, let's ask one of those taxi drivers for a ride."

Meanwhile, back at Central City...

"You want to see my research?"

Mustang nodded, "It's nothing against you Xehanort, we just want to be sure that you can be trustworthy. There are times that rebel spies try to sneak past our rules and try to operate outside our jurisdiction. If your suspecting a motive, don't worry, we have research and reports from many of our State Alchemists about their techniques and their teachings."

Xehanort brought his briefcase onto Mustang's desk and opened it. Inside, there were folders and notes filled with Xehanort's research. Xehanort presented them to the colonel, "As you can see, my findings have been quite successful in the fields of manipulation." Suddenly, something caught Mustang's eyes, there were also profiles on a few people inside the files, "Xehanort, did you involve children in your experiments?" Xehanort replied, "Orphans, mostly from Y. O. U. T. H. Each one had a different effect than the next, it was rather interesting."

Mustang gave a suspicious look at Xehanort and said, "You know, the orphanage that sheltered those assassins was recently attacked. Most of them disappeared without a trace." Xehanort raised his eyebrow in confusion, "Do you believe I am responsible for capturing them and subjugating them to my experiments?"

Mustang replied, "They had to disappear somewhere, right?"

The room was silent for a couple of seconds, then the two burst out in laughter. Xehanort said to the colonel, "I-I'm sorry, I'm sorry (chuckle), colonel, you have to do stand up some time, your quite a riot!" Mustang replied, "You're not the first person to say that." Xehanort wiped the tears from his eyes and said, "I can assure you colonel, the children in those files were actually adopted a few days before the orphanage was on fire."

Mustang stood up from his chair and organized the files of Xehanort's research and said, "Alright Xehanort, I believe you, thank you for your time." Suddenly, Mustang saw a photo of someone that looked familiar, _That...that boy, it couldn't be!_

Xehanort shook Mustang's hand and said, "I look forward to seeing you again someday colonel. Perhaps on the battlefield." Mustang smiled and replied, "...Let's hope not."

Xehanort bowed down, then took his empty briefcase and started walking towards the door.

"Mr. Xehanort, I had something else to ask you."

Xehanort turned around to look at Mustang, "Is there something wrong?" Mustang shook his head, "Not at all, but...before I forget, there was another joke I heard earlier. It involved the destruction of Radiant Garden. A few eye-witnesses believed that you were connected with the destruction of one of Drachma's largest cities, and that you were working secretly with a few strange, what were they? **Shadow Creatures?** They almost sound like a similar type of enemy we've encountered before called the Golems. I wouldn't be surprised if they were responsible for the disappearance of your teacher, Ansem the Wise. But...you wouldn't know anything about that, would you?"

Xehanort gave a displeased look at Mustang and said, "You really are a funny man, colonel." And with that, Xehanort left the office.

Mustang said to Hawkeye, who was still in the room, "He's lying." Hawkeye asked, "Pardon my asking sir, but what makes you believe Xehanort is the culprit?" Mustang took out one of the pictures in Xehanort's files, then he reached into his desk and pulled out a profile on a child from Y. O. U. T. H. and shows it to the first lieutenant. Mustang explained, "This picture...it's a small young boy, one of the children Xehanort adopted a couple of years ago. But...this picture's old, by now, the kid's probably 16 or older. And that's when I figured it out, this boy looks identical to an orphan that went rouge a few weeks ago."

Hawkeye looked at the old picture and the profile photo, then she realized who it was, "That boy! He looks like-"

"Riku? Hey Riku!"

Back in the desert, Sora and Riku were inside a taxi car, being driven towards Lior, where the military was tearing the dessert city apart.

Inside the car, Sora shook Riku, "Riku, come on, we gotta talk!" Riku looked at Sora and asked, "What's up Sora?" Sora asked, "Riku, first of all, I wanted to ask you about the others, our brothers and sisters from the orphanage-" Riku was confused, "Wait, they're not with you?" Sora shook his head, "No, I haven't seen them in days. Tidus told me that they were captured by a group of soldiers, soldiers who worked for Basc Grand, the Brigadier General. So there's a possibility that he might know who took them. Either that or he has them."

Riku patted Sora on the shoulder and said, "Well, I wouldn't worry too much about it, they could take care of themselves. We'll find them someday Sora, just be patient and leave everything to me..."

Without Sora looking, Riku was slowly pulling something out...

But suddenly, the taxi stopped, and the driver said to the two assassins, "We're here, kids. Welcome to...whatever's left of Lior." Sora got out before Riku could use his hidden item, and to Sora's surprise, they were still miles away from Lior. Sora looked at the driver and asked, "Why'd you stop here? We still have a few miles to go!" The driver replied, "Sorry kid, but this is as far as I can go! That town's a war zone, and I'm not risking my beauty here for a few bullet or cannon shots! But just so you know that there's no hard feelings, I'm giving you this small cooler tank filled with cold drinks. Figured I'd give it to the next person crazy enough to travel to Lior by foot. They're in the trunk, so I'll unlock it for you."

Sora walked to the trunk with the driver and watched as he unlocked the trunk and took out the small cooler tank. Sora shook the driver's hand, "Thank you. I think I can manage on my own from here." Riku came out of the car and asked, "Sora, what did you mean by that?" Sora replied, "I'm going alone Riku. I was planning to the minute I followed Isaac. While I'm looking through Lior for that creep, I need you to get back to the train station and call for Maes Hughes. His number should be in that phone book that was in the station. Tell him that I've located Isaac, and that I might need backup."

Riku was startled by what Sora said, "Hughes...wait, he's the soldier you were adopted by-" Sora pushed his friend into the taxi car, "Just go already! I need you to do this for me, please?" Riku replied, "...I-I'll try. Just come back alive, OK?" Sora smiled and nodded. He the grasped Riku's hand and said, "I'll be back in a jiffy bro, but I'll be needing that backup, alright?" Riku answered, "Just get your ass in there and fish out the trout!"

Sora smiled and ran to Lior while the taxi drove away. Sora looked onward at Lior as the sounds of gunfire and cannon fire echoed through the dessert. He knew that he was alone, but he also knew that somewhere in the dessert city, Rose was alone too...

End of Chapter 43

* * *

**Next Chapter, Ed looks for info on Dr. Marcoh while Sora arrives in the Lion's Den...**

**Please Comment.**


	44. Chapter 44

**Last time, A young sergeant major named Kain Fuery was assisting the cleanup crew in the train station when he found the same puppy that helped The Elrics and Sora locate Hawkeye during Bald's attack. Feeling pity for the homeless little pooch, Fuery approached his co-workers to see if any of them could take care of it. But to his sorrow, non of them were eligible, not even Havoc, who thought of eating the pup.**

**Meanwhile, Hawkeye brought Xehanort over to speak with Mustang, who wanted to see the research Xehanort used for his alchemy. The alchemist reluctantly complied and gave the research to the colonel, who noticed the case files of Y. O. U. T. H. children inside. Xehanort confessed that he used some of them for his experiments, but he has no idea where they currently were. Mustang then confronted Xehanort about Radiant Garden's destruction, to which Xehanort said he had no role in. Xehanort's innocent act wasn't fooling Mustang, especially when the colonel recognized the photo of one of his test subjects...  
**

**But over at the train station near Lior, Sora's frozen body was freed by Riku's new found heat alchemy. The two then hitch a ride on a taxi to reach Lior, but were surprised when the cab driver wouldn't get closer to the war zone that used to be a desert paradise. With no other choice, Sora asked Riku to get back and call for reinforcements from the Eastern HQ while he entered Lior...**

**Warning: Kingdom Hearts and Fullmetal Alchemist are both licensed by Square-Enix. The secondary licenses for both franchises are Disney (Kingdom Hearts), Aniplex, Bones Inc., and Funimation (Fullmetal Alchemist). **

**PS: There will be spoilers.**

* * *

Fullmetal Kingdom: The Fanfic

Chapter 44: Welcome to Hell

The next day came, and Ed was inside the record room, reading through another dozen files while looking for any information on Tim Marcoh, but so far, like many of the others, the file he read had nothing of any importance regarding Marcoh.

"Dr. Marcoh, Dr. Marcoh...DAMN IT! Wouldn't you like THAT? He's been erased from all the records!" Al asked, "Are you sure about that? Maybe there's some clues written somewhere-." Ed shook his head, "It's no use Al! I read every single file in this room, AND the library wasn't any help. You know how many files were in the record room?"

"No."

"387, and I've just read the last one! TWICE!"

Ed rubbed his eyes, "I've checked almost every single file in the room for two days, and I've read them again just to check for any hidden info. But there's nothing hidden, nothing important, nothing about Marcoh WRITTEN IN THESE DAMN FILES!" Al patted his brother on the back, "Calm down brother, I'm sorry for upsetting you."

Ed gripped his fist and said to Alphonse, "Clearly Mustang knows more than he's leading on, but he's not talking! If I'm gonna get Mustang to talk, then I'll have to beat the info out of him!" Al stood up in shock, "A FIGHT? You wouldn't get away with that!"

(meow)

The room was silent for three seconds until Ed's face became grim and unhappy, "...stomach purring?" Al replied, "Yes-I mean no, I mean..." Ed pointed at Al's chest-plate and said, "Al...what's in there?" Al slowly removed his chest-plate and revealed a small kitten, who Ed saw was completely wet and helpless.

Ed shook his head and said, "Al, you can't-" Al interrupted, "YOU KNOW IT'S STILL RAINING OUTSIDE!" Ed tried to calm his little brother down, "Al, be rational, we don't have the means to care for it." Al replied, "But's it's NOT just any stray, he called to me. He's wet and hungry, can't we keep him?"

"NO AL! Put that thing back where you found it!"

Al trembled with sadness, then he looked at his older brother and...

Swung him over to the other side of the record room!

"YOU JERK! I HATE YOU BROTHER, YOU'RE NOT EVEN HUMAN!"

As Ed was recovering from the dizziness, Maes Hughes came in the record room and said, "Hey Ed, I forgot to mention this during the party." Ed and Al looked at Hughes as he drew out a few pieces of paper from his coat...

"CHECK'EM OUT ED! It's the Elisia Impersonations Edition! Today, we just passed a pet store, and my little angel started looking at the puppies and rabbits and made funny noises based on those animals! Oh God, my daughter's such a cutesy wootsy-"

"**GET TO THE POINT!**"

Ed's angry stare shook Hughes for a bit, then after regaining his stature, Hughes said, "(rude little...) Anyway, due to a few...conditions, your assessment will be held here Ed." Ed was confused, "Assessments?" Al then realized, "Oh, you mean to renew Ed's State Alchemy certification, right Mr. Hughes?" Hughes nodded, "That's right Al, so in a few minutes, I'll come back later to tell you the options for your test, Ed-"

"Wait a minute Major!"

"HEY, THAT'S LIEUTENANT COLONEL TO YOU BUB!"

Ed explained, "Sorry about that Hughes. I just figured out the perfect way to show my skills!" Hughes asked, "Wha? Really? Well what's your suggestion?"

Ed looked at Al and gave a smug look of confidence, making Al worry, "Oh no..."

Meanwhile, confidence was nowhere in the Desert City of Lior...

The sunrise shined over what used to be Lior, and what was now a wasteland, filled with ruins and frightened people, who were desperately calling out to Father Cornello, who they thought of as their savior. But they were deceived by the priest's words, for there was no salvation awaiting them...

The Military shot down any follower of Cornello, and they even shot the hostile city dwellers. And as the city was being torn apart, inside a small building, was Rose, who was keeping the children of the city safe. A little boy looked at Rose and asked, "Miss Rose, shouldn't we try to escape?" Rose shook her head and replied, "...what for? We'll be killed...just...just stay here...they won't find us."

Elsewhere in the city, a certain Keyblade Master hid himself in the shadows.

Sora looked down and found a few robes near a few trash cans. So he took them and threw them on while thinking, _I can't let the soldiers see me! If they found out I was here looking for Rose, who knows what'll happen? And I can't show my Avenger, it's a dead giveaway. All I can do is keep myself hidden in these robes and find Isaac before he get's away. Hang in there Rose, I won't let you die here._

Sora quietly walked through the ally, making certain that no one saw him, "Come on Rose, where are you?" Sora then noticed a few Ishbalin citizens sitting near the wine fountain, drunk out of misery. And close by, there was a group of people surrounding a man trying to save the life of one of his friends.

"If he's a holy man that could perform miracles, **THEN WHY IS HE LETTING THIS HAPPEN?**"

Sora looked away, knowing that the real objective was tracking down Isaac McDougal, the Freezing Alchemist. Not to mention saving Rose.

As Sora walked through the city unnoticed, he couldn't help but look at the countless bodies of Ishbalins lying silently on the ground. Sora pressed forward towards the Temple of Leto, saying to himself, "Why is this happening? The townspeople didn't do anything wrong! They realized that Cornello was using them, so why did they-?"

"YOU THERE, HALT!"

Sora stopped and turned around, there he saw three soldiers who were pointing guns at him. One of the soldiers said to him, "Identify yourself!" Sora replied, "I...I'm here to seek shelter! My brothers are all thirsty from the long walk over here, and they sent me to look through Lior, the Desert Paradise, for food, water, and shelter."

"Hmm, an Ishbalin Traveler, eh?"

"Yes, that's right."

"OPEN FIRE!"

Sora was shocked to hear the soldier give such a cruel order, but his men didn't hesitate, they pointed their guns and pulled the trigger...

(BLAM, BLAM, BLAM)

The dust began to clear, showing the result of the attack...none.

"Wha-where'd he go?"

"**DOWNUNDAAAAA!**"

Sora surprised the first soldier by kicking him in the balls from behind! The two other soldiers charged at the robed warrior, but Sora grabbed them by the back of their heads and gave them a multi-headbutt!

As soon as the soldiers were unconscious, Sora shook off the dizzy feeling in his noggin and ran back into the ally, keeping himself hidden while reinforcements came to aid the beaten soldiers. Sora then rushed through the ally ways to reach the Temple, where Isaac was about to meet with the false prophet.

Outside the Temple, a few soldiers were in front of the temple doors talking to one another...

"Jeesh, that phoney doesn't play fair does he?"

"It's nothing to worry about, General Haruko's got something up his sleeve, I know it!"

"Yep, then that creep Cornello won't have a prayer! (chuckle) Get it? Since he's a fake priest?"

"Hey, would you idiots quit wasting time and help me open this thing?"

Sora finally reached the Temple of Leto, where the military was already at work trying to break into the temple. Sora thought to himself, _There's no way I can get in with all those soldiers blocking the doors. __Damn, and Isaac might already be in there! ...I just hope Rose isn't in there._

Suddenly, a large amount of ice spikes broke through the soldiers and doorway into the temple. As Sora watched, a tall man approached the temple...it was Isaac, who looked at the unconscious soldiers and said, "Lying down on the job boys? Now who's wasting time?"

After Isaac entered the temple, Sora rushed to the temple, hoping to stop the Freezer in time. Sora stopped for a minute and looked at one of the soldiers, who starting to wake up. Sora approached the soldier and gave him a Potion, "Bring your leader and reinforcements here, I'm not sure if I can handle the Freezer on my own. And have your leader call Colonel Mustang, he'll fill in the rest of the blanks."

The soldier watched as the mysterious robed warrior got back up and rushed into the temple. The soldier sat up and reached into his coat pocket, then he pulled out a two-way radio. He activated the radio and said, "Calling all arms, calling all arms, General Haruko, we have a breach in the temple, I repeat, BREACH IN THE TEMPLE!"

Inside the temple's main hall, Sora looked around for Isaac, but to his dismay, the traitor was nowhere to be found. Just then, he heard small footsteps in the area, so he brought out his Avenger and said, "You might as well show yourself! I know there's someone here!"

Suddenly, Sora felt a strong wack to the head, "OUCH!" Sora turned around and saw two children in pointy hats, a little boy who was shivering in fear and a girl who looked angry and held a large racket that looked like a cat's paw. Sora was a bit confused, "Uh, hi. I'm sorry I scared you-."

(WACK!)

"OUCH! Listen, I know I look like one of the bad guys, but you have to understand-"

(WACK!)

"OUCH! HEY, KNOCK IT OFF!"

The girl then said to Sora, "Just who do you think we are? IDIOTS? We know you're with them!" Sora explained, "Them? You mean the soldiers? Oh, well look, I'm not here to destroy Lior or hurt anyone, I'm really here to stop a criminal, and I'm also here to save a good friend of mine!" The boy asked, "So...a-are you with them or not?" Sora looked outside for a while, listening to the cries of innocent Ishbalins and hearing the gunfire, then he turned back and replied, "...I'm not with THOSE men."

The girl looked at the boy and said, "He's lying! He has to be! He's just like the last soldier, acting all nice to the Ishbalins, then just like that, they killed them like they were nothing but wild animals!" The girl pulled the little boy away, further into the hall and said, "The Ishbalins are a nice, peaceful bunch of people, and you and your men in blue tights treat them like trash! You think we'd ever trust you? FORGET IT!"

The girl pulled the boy along with her as she went further into the building, leaving Sora to think about what they said, _…I don't understand what why this is happening, or why there are kids inside the temple, but this is a dangerous place, I can't just leave them here to be attacked by Cornello OR Isaac! __I have to keep them safe!_

(scream)

Sora was surprised by the sudden screaming, "The kids? HANG ON GUYS, I'M COMING!"

Sora rushed into the hallway, where he saw a strange centipede-like creature, with the two kids being held in it's constricting form. Sora pointed his Avenger at it and said, "DROP THE KIDS!" The centipede monster ignored Sora and turned around, dashing further into the temple. Sora shook his head and said, "Of coarse it's going to ignore me."

The Keyblade Master then ran after the creature while thinking to himself, _First Rose, then the Ishbalins, now a bunch of kids! How many lives do I have to save?_

End of Chapter 44

* * *

**Next Chapter, Colonel Mustang is challenged by Ed to a very unique assessment...**

**Please Comment.**


	45. Chapter 45

**Last time, Edward Elric searched the files and records for Dr. Tim Marcoh, but even after reading a second time, Ed found nothing even related to Marcoh's research. As Al came to visit, Ed heard a cat's meow, and realized that his younger brother is caring for a small kitten. The two started to fight about whether or not they could keep it when Lieutenant Colonel Maes Hughes arrived to tell Ed about his renewal of his certification as a State Alchemist. Before Hughes finished, Edward had an idea for a challenge...**

**Meanwhile in Lior, Sora walked through the devastated city, trying to find Rose and stop Isaac from escaping. He followed Isaac into the Temple of Leto, where he met two kids, A frightened boy and an angry girl in pointy hats. Sora explained who he was, but the girl wasn't going to trust him so easily, so she took the boy and ran further into the temple. While deciding to keep the children safe, the Keyblade Master heard a shriek in the temple and ran to where the screams were coming from! There, he saw a large centipede monster taking the two kids away, and thus the chase begins...**

**Warning: Kingdom Hearts and Fullmetal Alchemist are both licensed by Square-Enix. The secondary licenses for both franchises are Disney (Kingdom Hearts), Aniplex, Bones Inc., and Funimation (Fullmetal Alchemist). **

**PS: There will be spoilers.**

* * *

Fullmetal Kingdom: The Fanfic

Chapter 45: Challenging the Colonel

The rain came down hard on Donald and Goofy as they returned to East HQ. They went inside and were drenched from head to toe with rainwater. The soldiers looked at the two Genomes and laughed, to which Donald said, "WE DIDN'T HAVE UMBRELLAS, ALRIGHT? WHAT'S SO FUNNY ABOUT THAT, HUH?"

Goofy tried to calm Donald down, "Aww, come on Donald, they weren't doing any harm. And besides, I love running in the rain, it's really fun (ahyuk)." Donald gave Goofy a disturbed look, "Not everyone here shares that opinion, **Goofbrain**! Rainwater makes your appearance ridiculous, everybody will look at you and think you're a looser, that you don't accomplish anything, THAT YOU LIVE IN THE STREETS WITH THE REST OF THE POODLES!"

Suddenly, the door smacked Donald in the face, and King Bradley came through while laughing at his appearance, "This coat needed a good washing! (laughing)"

The fuhrer walked away while Goofy helped Donald up, who was quite disturbed at Bradley's joyful experience. Goofy then said, "See Donald, not everybody-" Donald grabbed Goofy by the nose and said, "Be...very...very...**QUIET**!"

As Donald and Goofy walk through the hallway, Goofy heard Donald muttering to himself about Sora's stubborn actions, and how thick-headed he could be when playing the hero. Goofy patted Donald on his soaked hat and said, "Gwarsh Donald, it's not the end of the world. Sora will return, yep, I just know that he will. He already came through that invasion of the Golems, and he even helped the Elrics against that dastardly deviant, Mugear. Chasing after a hudlum, well, it's like a cakewalk for Sora, so we got nothing to worry about."

Donald looked at Goofy and said, "That wasn't a 'hudlum', it was a former state alchemist! He's someone who's been in a war for crying out loud! He'll tear that little snot apart!" Goofy scratched the back of his neck in embarrassment and said, "I-I was only trying to help. You were so angry, and I know you want to see Sora again, but huffing and puffing like a wolf isn't going to solve anything." Donald asked, "Then what do you suppose we do?"

"Battle assessment? Sounds weird."

Donald yelled, "HOW'S A BATTLE ASSESSMENT GONNA-wait...who told us to do a battle assessment?" Goofy replied, "I don't think anyone told us to do that, Donald. I think that was something we heard from a conversation." The two Genomes enter the closest office to see who was talking, and in that office, was Fuery, Breda, Havoc, Falman, and Hawkeye. Fuery was feeding milk to the small puppy he brought in a while ago when Donald and Goofy came in.

Goofy apologized, "S-sorry for eavesdropping fellas."Falman smiled and asked, "...you two are the Genomes, right?" Donald gave a sharp look at Falman and asked, "**And what if we are, mammal?**" Falman tried to calm Donald down, "OK, OK, don't ruffle your feathers, I didn't mean to say anything offensive!"

Goofy grabbed Falman's hand and shook it with a joyful face, "Why, I saw y'all at the party (ahyuk), you guys know Mustang right? I am one of the Genomes that have come to your country of Amestris. This here's my pal, Donald Duck, and I'm Goofy." Falman gave a shy grin at Goofy and said, "W-well, it's nice to meet you two, I'm Warrant Officer, Vato Falman." Donald noticed that something smelled funny, and looked behind him to see Havoc smoking one of his cigarettes. Havoc gave a funny look at Donald, and Donald gave one back. The two sat on the same table face to face, and Donald, asked, "Well, you know my name, so what's your name, 'Blondy'?" Havoc replied, "Second Lieutenant, Jean Havoc."

Donald looked at the cigarette and said, "You know, smoking can be fatal." Havoc replied, "So can a landmine. Life's too short, so we gotta enjoy life while we can." Donald nodded, "Fair enough. So what's this about a battle assessment? Can the army even do that?" Havoc replied, "Yeah, sometimes the alchemists go up against each other in a mach battle in how they can use their skills. I just think it's weird that Ed suggested it."

Goofy asked, "Ed? Ya mean the 'Fullmetal Alchemist' Ed?" Breda nodded, "Yep, that's the Ed we all know and point at. And here he is, suggesting the assessment, then picking Mustang the colonel as an opponent. That's one heck of an opponent to take by choice." Donald asked, "You seem pretty confident in the colonel. Who are you anyway?" Breda replied, "Me? I'm another Second Lieutenant. 'Name's Heymans Breda, I'm what you call the 'strategic' one. Yep, when it comes to game plans, the guide's all up here." Breda said, pointing at his forehead.

"Goofy smiled and asked, "Well, nice to meet you Mr. Breda-" Breda stepped back, "Whoa there, pooch, space IS required." Goofy nods and steps away, "Uh, by the way, I'm a bit curious, the Fullmetal against the Flame? Who do ya think would win if they gave it their all?" Fuery looked at Goofy and said, "My opinion, it's gotta be the Flame." Donald shook his head, "I doubt that, you can't count Fullmetal out of the picture just because he's too small for the frame." Havoc agreed, "The duck's got a point, I mean, Ed IS a hero in this region. But then again, when you think about all the stories of Mustang during the rebellion..."

Fuery asked, "But I don't get it, why would Ed suggest this to begin with? It's so risky." Goofy said to Fuery, "Well young man, when boys come to a certain age, they can't help but pick fights with the leader. It's in most of us to prove our strengths, which is probably why so many of us chose war over peace." Fuery then said, "Uh...thanks. But you don't have to call me 'young man', my name's Fuery, Sergeant Major Kain Fuery." Goofy said in response, "Sergeant Major? (ahyuk) That's MY rank too!" Donald asked Havoc, "ANYWAY, getting back to the point, Why's the 'dwarf' picking a fight with the 'burning bush'?"

"I heard it was for a cat."

The soldiers and the Genomes looked at Hawkeye, who continued, "The conditions are that if Ed wins, Mustang has to take care of it." Fuery had a disheartened look, "A cat? I guess that's bad news for this guy, I was hoping the colonel would take him." Goofy asked, "Why would you want that? Don't YOU want to take care of this puppy?" Fuery replied, "Goofy...it's a long story, but-" Donald then said, "What Fuery's trying to say Goofy is that he lives somewhere that doesn't approve of pets. Is that it?" Fuery nodded, "Yes, and some of the men here also live in the dorms, (not to mention Breda's a scaredy-cat, and Havoc's a possible suspect for several animal disappearances)."

Breda and Havoc gave a disturbed look at Fuery and asked, "**WHAT WAS THAT GOGGLES**?"

Fuery smiled in fear, "Ah...n-n-nothing."

Unbeknownst to everyone, Hawkeye looked at the puppy with a curious eye, and the puppy looked back at her, while tipping his head. Hawkeye blushed, but she looked away before anyone could see that bonding moment between the soldier and the puppy.

Suddenly, the door opened, and Mustang entered with a grim face. Goofy stood up and saluted him, "G-g-greetings colonel sir, and good afternoon!" The colonel went past him, and Goofy was pulled back down to his seat by Falman and Breda. Breda then said, "(shhhh) When the colonel's like this, there's no telling what he'll do."

Everyone looked worried at Mustang as he walked straight towards Fuery. He looked at Fuery, who sweated and asked, "Uh...h-hello sir." Just then, Mustang snatched the small puppy from the young soldier and looked at it, "...a dog huh? I heard there was one in the building." Fuery asked, "I-I know it's against regulations sir, but he was shivering out in the cold! He was hungry and alone, and I didn't want to leave him starving in the streets!"

"**I LOVE DOGS!**"

"SAY-WHA?" asked Donald, Goofy, and the rest of the soldiers.

Fuery asked with teary eyes of joy, "R-really, you mean it?" the colonel gave a disturbing smile at Fuery and replied, "OF COARSE! Dogs embody loyalty, they follow their master's commands above all else! Be a jerk to them and they don't complain, and they never ONCE beg for a paycheck!" The disturbing colonel caught everyone's eye as he swings the puppy everywhere while he kept talking about dogs and servants, "TRUST ME FUERY, THEY'RE THE GREAT SERVANTS OF MAN! **LOYAL CANINE, HOW WE SALUTE THEE!** (maniacal laugh)"

Hawkeye swiftly took the puppy away from the colonel while he laughed and gave it back to Fuery, "Scratch the colonel off your list." Fuery nodded, "...d-done."

Goofy then interrupted Mustang's laugh by tapping on his shoulder and asking, "Colonel sir, aren't you worried about the battle assessment that Edward thought of?" Mustang looked at Goofy with a confused look, "Wait, Ed wants to what?" Donald shook his head in annoyance and asked, "You DO know about Mr. Mini's challenge, right?" Mustang smiled and said, "(hmph) I've heard of it, but I didn't accept the terms. Besides, the fuhrer knows it wouldn't be fair for me to go against the kid."

Donald asked, "So you're not gonna fight?" Mustang nodded his head 'yes', prompting Donald to say, "Chickening out, I guess you people really are human (chuckle)." Mustang said to the mocking duck, "It has nothing to do with cowardice, I just have something against beating a kid. I'd love nothing more than to show off my valor, but there's no way King Bradley would allow it."

Minutes later in the fuhrer's office...

"That sounds like an interesting fight, I'm going to allow the battle assessment." King Bradley said while drinking his tea. Mustang was quite disturbed, "What? But fuhrer-" Hughes interrupted, "The fuhrer's spoken colonel. You can use the parade grounds, that way, you won't have to worry about the collateral damage."

"What's wrong Mustang? You're sure of your own skills aren't you?" Grand asked. Mustang replied, "...of coarse I am. If this is your decision fuhrer, then I'll accept it." Bradley smiled and said, "Then it's decided, in three weeks, the assessments for the State Alchemists will begin, and you, along with Fullmetal, will prove yourselves. In my opinion, I think this 'exam' is going to be a lot of fun."

Mustang left the fuhrer's office, followed by Jean Havoc and Risa Hawkeye. Mustang smirked, "You can't say I didn't try to protect the kid, but I'll dutifully obey my orders, at least until I become fuhrer and everyone of them is obeying me." Hawkeye then said, "Be more discreet about your definitions sir, some would call it treason."

Havok nodded, "She's right chief, it's a presumptuous thing to say. You got a death wish or something?" Mustang stopped and said, "That's a stupid question, Havok. I say it because it's true, and when I'm fuhrer, there will be changes..."

"**THAT DAY, ALL FEMALE OFFICERS WILL BE REQUIRED TO WHERE...**

**TINY MINI SKIRTS!"**

Hawkeye sighed in disappointment at the colonel's ridiculous idea, while Havoc had a stupid look of joy on his face. Havoc hugged Mustang's leg and said, "YER-A MIRACLE MUSTANG! I'LL FOLLOW YOU FOR THE REST OF MY LIFE!" Mustang nodded with a proud face, **"YES!"**

Just when Hawkeye walked past the pitiful duo, Donald came before them and waved at Mustang, "Hey colonel, we need to talk."

Mustang, Hawkeye, and Havoc walked alongside Donald while he and the colonel were talking to each other about a certain bodyguard...

"So, what are you going to do about it?" Donald asked, Mustang answered, "...for the moment, nothing." Donald then said, "But he's one of your men! As colonel, you have a responsibility to your soldiers-" Mustang interrupted Donald by saying, "You make it sound like he needs me. But your wrong." Donald became outraged, "HE'S DEALING WITH AN ALCHEMIST! OF COARSE HE NEEDS YOUR HELP!"

Mustang looked at Donald and said, "He assisted Ed by defeating Cornello, he fought against an army of Golems, he destroyed a giant armored monster, he even managed to match the strength and stamina of an assassin from his old orphanage. I repeat, AND I quote, **HE...DOESN'T...NEED...HELP**. I thought by now, you would have more faith in him, since he saved you and the canine from being dissected by our scientists."

Donald sweated from the thought, and went on to ask, "But...how do you know he'll come back?" Mustang replied, "Because the first lieutenant did the same thing he did a long time ago. This guy didn't like having cuffs on his wrists, so he pulled out a gun and shot the nearest soldier...me. The crook got away, and after evading the state's watchful eye, he thought he was safe...but as he stopped to rest, a gun was pointed right at his forehead. That criminal put up a good fight, but a bullet was all the second lieutenant needed to slow him down."

"It took about two weeks to come back to Central HQ." Hawkeye said while smiling.

Donald looked at Hawkeye with an astonished look in his eyes, "...YOU? You followed a criminal for that long and brought him back?" Mustang patted Donald on the head, "And knowing Sora, he'll track Isaac down without breaking a sweat. Just keep waiting near the train station, and I'm sure he'll be back."

"COLONEL MUSTANG SIR, COLONEL MUSTANG!"

Goofy came running towards Mustang and the group with a shocked look in his face. Mustang asked, "Easy, easy boy. What's wrong with you all of a sudden? Did Timmy fall into the well or something?" Goofy saluted the colonel after taking a deep breath and said, "SIR, in your office, there's someone on the phone for you, someone calling from Lior! I told him to wait while I looked for you SIR! He said that Sora needed back-up!"

End of Chapter 45

* * *

**Next Chapter, the colonel makes plans for a rescue while Sora fights an unexpected enemy...**

**Please Comment.**


	46. Chapter 46

**Last time, Donald and Goofy met with their fellow soldiers, Havok, Breda, Fuery, and Falman, and have just found out that Edward has arranged a battle assessment, and his opponent was Roy Mustang, the Flame Alchemist! If Ed manages to win, he'll pass for his re-certification as a State Alchemist, and the colonel would have to take care of a kitten that he and Al found. The news made Fuery feel disappointed, since he was hoping Mustang would care for the puppy he was caring for. Mustang was met by his men, who asked if he was really participating in the fight, but Mustang explained that Fuhrer King Bradley would never allow such a test of skill...**

**But after hearing Ed's suggestion, Bradley allows the fight!**

**While walking through the hallways, Mustang comments on how he will change things in the military...when he becomes the new fuhrer! But while he was speaking of his dreams of giving orders and tiny skirts, Donald approached Mustang and demanded to know when they'll be moving out to save Sora's life. The colonel answered that he didn't have to since Sora's been through allot with the Elric Brothers, knowing the Keyblade Master's experience on the feild, Mustang knew Sora would return.**

**Suddenly, Goofy rushed to the colonel, telling him that someone is calling for him about Sora...**

**Warning: Kingdom Hearts and Fullmetal Alchemist are both licensed by Square-Enix. The secondary licenses for both franchises are Disney (Kingdom Hearts), Aniplex, Bones Inc., and Funimation (Fullmetal Alchemist). **

**PS: There will be spoilers.**

* * *

Fullmetal Kingdom: The Fanfic

Chapter 46: Magical Mages

Mustang enters his office and answers the phone, "This is Colonel-" Just before he could finish, the caller interrupted, "Colonel Roy Mustang, AKA, Hero of the Eastern Rebellion, AKA, the Flame Alchemist, I know who you are. I'm calling to tell you that No. 516 has entered Lior in search of Isaac McDougal, AKA, the Freezing Alchemist. Right now, Lior is being torn apart by YOUR allies, and if I were you, I would send back-up as soon as possible before 516 meets the same fate as the Ishbalins."

Mustang asked, "This is a serious accusation sir, may I ask who you are and why-?" The line went dead, and so Mustang placed the phone down. Hawkeye entered the office and saw Mustang turn to her. She asked, "What was that about?" the colonel replied, "The caller spoke to me about Sora and his current status. It's not good."

Donald and Goofy waited outside for Mustang to come out and possibly give them good news about Sora, but Hawkeye came out and said to them, "Donald and Goofy, the colonel is making a call to the train station nearest to Lior. The two of you will be waiting at the Eastern Train Station with Jean Havoc and Heymans Breda. There will be a train arriving to take the four of you to Lior. Once there, you must retrieve Sora and bring him back here, if he is engaged with the enemy, McDougal, you will assist in his capture. Understood?"

Donald nodded, "Alright, NOW we're talking, Donald Duck is back in the fray! C'mon, lets go Goofy!" As Donald ran off to the Eastern Train Station, Goofy saluted the first lieutenant and said, "Don't'cha worry 'bout a thing mam! We'll save Sora in no time (ahyuk)!"

Elsewhere in Lior, Sora was tracking down the large centipede-like creature, who still had the two children. "(losing breath) Geez, what's keeping this thing from fainting?" Sora said as he followed the creature. Suddenly, the creature stopped and broke into one of the chapel rooms, Sora stopped to take a breather, "(gasp) Gotcha (gasp) now (gasp) oh boy, Isaac had better be in there, 'cuz I can't take this running for another second!"

Sora entered the chapel room, but to his surprise, the room was empty.

"Don't worry, your prey is still here."

Sora was surprised by the voice, and then, the doors behind him closed themselves shut. The mysterious voice then said, "The way is shut, so there's no escape. Not for you, and not for them." Sora noticed something in front of him, emerging from a dark corner was the two children, who were unconscious and tied up.

"The kids!" Sora ran to them, but suddenly, the centipede came out and grabbed Sora, it then threw him away. As Sora stood back up, the centipede went back in the shadow, and a familiar figure appeared on the stage. Sora recognized the strange figure, "Cornello?" Cornello smiled and said, "Nice of you to come, my misguided friend." Sora then asked, "You're one to talk! We trounced you earlier, and yet, you're still going on about being some saint, sent by God or some sun god or...whatever, why are you so desperate to take control of these people? Haven't they been through enough?" Cornello replied, "I'm here because YOU'RE here. You desired to stop a fiendish traitor, but instead, you found something else, am I right?"

Sora was starting to get annoyed, "What are you talking about?" Cornello explained, "What I'm talking about is what you failed to understand. The Ishbalins are being extinguished by YOUR military. Your allies are here to kill everyone who lives here, all because they still believe in a little fairy tale named Father Cornello, me." Sora shook his head and said, "Your wrong! The military's here to stop you because you used the people to make an empire!" Cornello retaliated, "And for that, the people of Lior will pay the price, a price they never imagined paying for."

Cornello went on, "Can't you see what is happening, boy? Your military has spilled innocent blood, and all because the Ishbalins were lied to by me. They have been given enough punishment, don't you agree? Or...maybe you want this to happen to them. The ignorant masses wouldn't listen to you, they chose to be idiots, and so, for their idiocy, you choose to punish them! Oh child, heartless, heartless child, how could thou be so sinister?"

"**I DIDN'T WANT ANY OF THIS!**" Sora screamed as he took out his Avenger and ran right at Cornello. But before the Keyblade could pierce the false prophet, Cornello grabbed the arm that held the Avenger and threw Sora against a wall! Sora tried to recover, but Cornello grabbed the Keyblade Master by the hair and smashed his face into the wall!

As Cornello kept beating Sora, the noise woke up one of the captive children, the boy with the pointy hat. He saw Sora, in Cornello's grasp, beaten like a sick dog. Cornello then threw Sora into on of the pillars, and when Sora fell to the ground, the elderly conman grabbed him again and said, "And yet, you let **this** happen to them." Cornello then made a fist and started punching Sora in the gut!

The boy watched as Sora was kneed in the gut by Cornello, and pummeled down to the ground. As Sora coughed up blood, Cornello bent over to see his face and said, "The military made you suffer by becoming a weapon-" Cornello slapped Sora and continued, "-they brought you to me to suffer even MORE!" Then he grabbed Sora by the leg and threw him through two pillars, "Are you so eager for more suffering? ARE YOU?"

Sora, who was barely alive, tryed to get up, but Cornello pounded him down with his foot, keeping the Keyblade Master down. Then Cornello said, "Your beloved family is a lie, Sora. They were given to you so that you would feel happy and stay blind to the military's own evil. Stay with them and I promise you, you will know what the meaning of **'heartbreak'** is very soon! Break the shackles Sora, free yourself from them, join forces with me, learn how to use your Keyblade properly, and together, we can save humanity from their grasp!"

Sora looked at Cornello and replied, "I'm...here t-to stop...Isaac (cough)...and I'll save (choke)...t-the Ishbalins." Cornello said to Sora, "You can't do two things at once. You either arrest the criminal and stay a puppet, or you save a group of foolish believers and get branded a traitor. You have to make a choice, so choose. Life...or Death."

Sora pushes himself up slowly, even with Crimson's foot on his back, "You really don't get it, do you (cough)? I said I was going to stop Isaac and save the Ishbalins, and (cough) I intend to keep my word! I don't understand your reasons for hating for the military, or Isaac's reasons, but that won't stop me from doing the right thing! (cough) And neither will your strength! ...or your disguise!"

Cornello was shocked to hear the Keybearer's words, so he said, "What do you mean? I AM Father Cornello, the chosen one sent by the-" Sora then realized, "...you don't remember our little fight before, do you? This strength you're using can't be natural since the real Cornello could barely walk without a cain in his hand. And what's with this frontal fist fight? You're the type that loves to see other people do his dirty work! You may possess the same power to control the Golems, but one thing is for sure, YOU ARE NOT FATHER CORNELLO!"

Enraged, Cornello instantly pounded Sora's face down with his foot. Then he grabbed Sora by the neck and lifted him up, "_**Perhaps you'll understand me better when I squeeze every last bit of brainjuice out of your spiky little head.**_" Cornello started choking Sora with both his hands when suddenly...

"**STOP IT!**"

An enormous burst of red flame blasted Cornello away from Sora!

Cornello shook off the fire on his pants and looked at the one who shot a Fire spell at him. It was the pointy-hatted boy, who looked at his hands in shock, "W-what did I do?" Cornello laughed, "Well, what's this? Another weapon of the devil?" Cornello started walking towards the boy, "I don't know who or what you are, (voice change) but I'm not in a playful mood! So SCRAM!"

Cornello's voice suddenly changed into a more younger voice, and then he smacked the boy away, but as he did, the boy shot another spell of flame at him! The Fake-Cornello quickly grabbed the spell, and then, he squeezed the flame in his hands and extinguished it! Fake-Cornello then realized, "I see, so this is your first time casting a spell? How wonderful, if you join forces with me, I can teach you how to perfect your spells!" The boy yelled, "Like how you taught that person? I'D NEVER JOIN FORCES WITH YOU!"

And to the Fake-Cornello's surprise, a powerful force of fire circulated around the boy and erupted into an unbelievable force that looked familiar to the fake prophet, "This-this is no fire spell! **IT'S FLARE!**"

The Fake-Cornello was then blasted right out of the room!

"!"

...

With the fake-false prophet gone, the boy ran to the girl and shook her, "Wake up Eiko, WAKE UP, PLEASE!" The girl woke up, "Eh...alright, ALRIGHT ALREADY, I'M UP!" Eiko stood up and removed her hood, revealing her short blue hair, and for some reason, a horn on her forehead.

Eiko then noticed Sora's half-beaten form lying on the ground, "Wait a minute, isn't that the soldier boy?" The boy with the pointy hat replied, "Eiko, he came to save us!" The boy then rushed to Sora and helped him up. Eiko walked up towards Sora and looked at his face, "Not such a looker anymore."

"(cough, cough) Hey, your safe."

Eiko saw Sora smiling at her with eyes filled with tears. Eiko then said, "Q-quit crying already, what's up with the water works anyway?" The boy explained, "He was beaten because he refused to join the kidnapper." Eiko looked at the Keybearer's bloody face and said, "I don't believe you...(sigh) but I can't just let you go like that. I'll treat your wounds for you, consider it payback for trying to save us."

As Eiko took out a green wooden flute, Sora said to her, "I couldn't just leave you two, it's too dangerous to be walking out on your own." Eiko replied, "Trust us, we can look out for our selves."

Eiko then started to play a beautiful symphony from her flute, but it wasn't a simple melody that the horned girl was playing. Sora noticed a green stream of light come around his body, and as it circulated around Sora, he felt most of the pain and bruises on his body disappear, as if he never had any to start with.

Eiko explained, "There we go, you're cured of all injuries, you should be able to stand on your own now." Sora nodded and started to stand up, however, he was starting to loose his balance, so he leaned on the Keyblade. Despite his injuries being half-way cured, Sora smiled at the two children and said, "My name's Sora, what are your names?"

The pointy-hatted boy shook Sora's hand and said, "I-I'm Vivi, Vivi Orunitia." Sora realized, "Oh yeah, you're the one who blasted that pretender with that Fire spell, aren't you?" Vivi nervously touched his fingers together, "W-well, I didn't know I could do that." Eiko then stepped forward and introduced herself, "And my name is Eiko, Eiko Carol of the Summoners." Sora became confused, "Uh, summoners? What do you summon?" Eiko replied with a gritty look, "_**AH SUMMON PAIN, BITCH!**_" a startled Sora stepped back, "OK, OK, I get it, you're tough."

Suddenly, the group heard a strange hissing inside the chapel room, Vivi asked, "W-w-what was that?" Sora replied, "I'd say it's the thing that kidnapped you and Eiko." The hissing came from a dark shadow from behind a pillar, so Sora looked at the two children and said, "Stay behind me."

The Keyblade Master crept towards the shadow, quietly preparing for a surprise attack...

Then he rolled to one of the sides and lunged at whatever was hissing, but to his surprise, there was nothing there but an empty pot...

Sora turned around and said, "There's nothing there. I guess it might just be a snake we heard or something." Eiko laughed, "You boys were frightened by a little snake? HA, I can't believe the opposite sex is afraid of something so-"

(KA-THOOM)

To Sora's surprise, a massive creature popped up out of the sand and attacked him, bashing him into a wall! Vivi then realized, "T-that's the monster that caught Eiko and me!" The Giant Centipede Monster looked at the two children and started coming towards them. But Sora jumped on it's head and covered it's eyes, "GUESS WHO?"

The Monster screeched as it tried to shake Sora off of it's head. Sora then noticed an emblem on it's forehead, a familiar emblem, "It's one of Crimsons Golems!" after he found out the creature's alliance, the Giant Centipede threw Sora off, but to it's surprise, a large amount of fire came on it's face! Sora came up and said, "Thanks Vivi!" Vivi replied, "You're welcome!"

"VIVI, LOOK OUT!"

The Giant Centipede charges right at Vivi, but Eiko quickly pushed him away, only to be grabbed by the Giant Centipede's fangs! The creature noticed that Eiko's wing accessory on her back was hanging on to one of it's fangs, so it tried to shake her off.

Eiko then yelled, "HEY, QUIT THAT! THAT IS NO WAY TO TREAT A LADY_**!**_" Just before she could finish saying 'lady, the Giant Centipede threw her off in mid-air!

As Eiko was starting to fall down, Sora rushed over to try and catch her, "Hang on, I got you!" And just like that, Eiko landed in Sora's arms. Eiko felt a bit dazed, but she shook it off and looked at Sora, but when she looked at him, she started seeing Sora differently, she no longer saw him as an untrustworthy soldier trying to act like a hero, instead, she saw Sora in a whole new light...

As the Giant Centipede spotted Sora and started to chase him, Eiko said, "T-thank you f-for saving me." Sora replied, "No problem! That's what friends are for! Now let's get out of here! Vivi, come on!" Vivi followed Sora as he kicked the doors open, but as they ran, the Giant Centipede kept chasing after them!

Meanwhile, elsewhere in the temple, Isaac McDougal, the Freezing Alchemist came inside the main Chapel Room, where a certain false priest was waiting for him. "So, you're Father Cornello?" Isaac asked, the Fake-Cornello replied, "Indeed I am, and you must be...the Freezer?" Isaac nodded and asked, "So, tell me something, why'd you send the kid to tell me to meet with you?"

Cornello smiled, "What if I told had the key to Central City's destruction in the palm of my hand?"

End of Chapter 46

* * *

**Next Chapter, Kadaj confronts Crimson while the identity of the False-Cornello is revealed...**

**Please Comment.**


	47. Chapter 47

**Last time, A mysterious person on the phone reported to Mustang about Sora entering Lior, where the Ishbalin citizens were being hunted down. And if the colonel doesn't send back-up soon, Sora will die...**

**After the informer hung up, Mustang gave Donald and Goofy an order, travel to Lior with soldiers Havok and Breda to assist Sora in the capture of Isaac, and return back.**

**Back in Lior, Sora chased after the strange centipede monster to try and rescue two kids. But just when he was about to save them, Cornello appeared and pummeled the Keyblade Master to the ground! Sora then started to suspect something...the man who was attacking him WASN'T Cornello! The fake-false prophet was about to finish Sora off when suddenly, one of the children used a powerful flame-like attack, and blasted the imposter out of the temple! The pointy-hatted boy introduced himself as Vivi, and after she healed Sora's wounds, the horned girl introduced herself as Eiko.**

**But before they could leave the room, the centipede monster appeared again and attacked Eiko! A forced attack made the monster release Eiko, then she dropped into Sora's arms, making Eiko realize how noble the Keybearer really is. The trio then made a run for it, with the giant centipede monster going after them!**

**Meanwhile, the fake Cornello met with Isaac and offered to give him the key to the Amestrian Military's destruction...**

**Warning: Kingdom Hearts and Fullmetal Alchemist are both licensed by Square-Enix. The secondary licenses for both franchises are Disney (Kingdom Hearts), Aniplex, Bones Inc., and Funimation (Fullmetal Alchemist). **

**PS: There will be spoilers.**

* * *

Fullmetal Kingdom: The Fanfic

Chapter 47: Ceramic Chaos

Inside Crimson's Castle, Kadaj waited to meet with someone in the throne room. Just then, the Phantom Blott entered the room, "You're recovery is extraordinary. You truly are the superior brother. I wonder if, the next time you betray Crimson, you'll be killed, and I can study your anatomy?" Kadaj grunted, "I'm still alive, you fool. And the last thing I would want is to become one of your specimens!"

The Phantom snapped his fingers and pointed at Kadaj, "Watch your tone, 'boy', or the next ones on the slab will be your brothers!" Kadaj pulled out his blade and pointed it at the sinister figure, "You even touch them, and I'll spread every last **BIT** of you across the castle's outer wall!"

"Now now children, daddy's had a long day."

Crimson came into the room while dusting himself off when the Blott approached him and bowed down, "My lord, I am happy that you are safe." Crimson replied, "Stow it. Taking care of an errand in the Tombstone Village shouldn't be so filthy! BLOTT, FETCH MY DRESSING ROBE! And while you're at it, bring the other two here, I'll need them and Kadaj together for this."

The Phantom Blott asked, "My lord, the 'other two' wouldn't happen to be the other silver haired brothers, would they?" Crimson sat on his throne and said while rubbing his forehead, "Oh no, Phantom, I meant Tom Sawyer and Huckleberry Finn, the 'original bad boys'! There's no need for you to **bring me the only two other boys THAT I MEANT EARLIER!**"

The Blott shivered and rushed to find Loz and Yazoo, leaving Kadaj alone with Crimson in the throne room. Kadaj pointed his sword at the Golem king, "You were the one, weren't you? You weakened me and my brothers on that train!" Crimson didn't seem to pay attention, instead, he kept dusting his clothes. He then said, "I remember saying 'have fun with him', I distinctively remember granting you permission to push him around, you even had the chance to manipulate him to our side."

Just then, a large black fishing hook came down from the ceiling and pulled Kadaj up by the throat!

"**YOU CAUGHT THE FISH, AND YOU LOST IT!**"

Kadaj choked as the hook hung him in the air like a noose, "(choke) I t-tried to kill him because he wouldn't (gack), he was never going to believe a word we told him, (gasp) he's one of the dogs now!" Crimson chuckled, "Of coarse he is, you TWIT! And like many of the dogs of the state, he will find out the hard way. He will discover a juicy bone buried under a mass of dirty little secrets, left by his fellow soldiers, but that bone wasn't left there by accident."

The hook then dropped Kadaj before Crimson as he continued talking, "He'll feel terrified by the secrets, maddened even, that he will lose sight of what's right and what's wrong. That's why I need your help Kadaj. Together, we will both convince him, and drive him to the decision. Driving him mad is one of the steps, but he needs to see accurate evidence. We will expose the truth, we will possess the Keyblade, AND WE WILL WIPE THEM OFF THE FACE OF THE EARTH!"

Crimson sat back down and asked, "...(sigh) do you still have it?" Kadaj reached into his shirt and pulled out the strange black orb that was handed to him earlier, "It's still waiting for the right moment Crimson. I know my mission, so my brothers and I will find a suitable target and-"

"HOLD ON KING KONG! I might have a better idea." Crimson said as he grabbed Kadaj by the shoulder. Kadaj asked, "A better idea? FROM YOU?" Crimson nodded and explained, "When I was released from my prison, I was there long enough to see a woman in black with an obese midget. She had a peculiar red mark on the middle of her cleavage...a tattoo with a resemblance to...an oroboros, a snake that bites it's own tail."

Kadaj asked, "What does a woman have to do with your idea?"

…

Back in Lior, inside the bell tower of the Temple of Leto, two strangers were watching the entire city shatter. The strangers were none other than Lust, the beautiful woman with the strange ability to extend her spear-like fingernails, and Gluttony, the short, obese, and cannibalistic man.

Lust looked down from the tower at the soldiers, who were shooting every Ishbalin in their path. She shook her head, "Look at them all, Gluttony. Humans, fools, they're all the same, it never ceases to amaze me how many of them prefer a bullet over life itself." Gluttony agreed, "Foolish, foolish (snicker)!"

"Well what did you expect from the children of God?"

A figure came before Lust and Gluttony, after stepping out of the shadows, he is revealed to be Father Cornello, who kept gloating, "After all the trouble we went through, I think this savage outcome feels nice, don't you? (chuckle) You were lucky I was in the neighborhood, but I'd advise you not to take up my schedule, I still have other matters to attend to after all."

Lust smiled, "You've done quite well this time, 'prophet'." Gluttony nodded, "Hehehe, yes, worked well." Cornello then said, "I just came up to tell you that our 'guinea pig' has accepted the offer." Lust then asked, "So Isaac's gone to Central?" Cornello replied, "Yes, I gave him a disguise that would help him walk past the soldiers. By now, he's probably out of the temple and borrowing one of the cabs that were left outside by the 'unnecessary' cab drivers that came earlier."

Lust looked back at the soldiers, who were shooting down most of the citizens, "Those soldiers don't even know that they are participating in our plans." Cornello nodded, "Yes, and to think, all it took to revitalize the people's belief in Father Cornello was a simple puppet show. Nobody even noticed the birds blowing up after they flew out of the city. Humans truly are foolish...they didn't even know that the real prophet was eaten after his failure. And with them looking the other way-."

Cornello's form suddenly became engulfed in a wave of red electricity, and through the waves, came a new form, a form that was not the prophet's, but another form. The true face behind Cornello after the real one died had the strange form of a teenage boy in revealing clothes, colored in black, his skin was the same light color as Lust, he even had the same purple-snake-like pupils as her, and his hair was long, and dark-green. The teenage shape-shifter then continued talking, "-they never even noticed my cute 'n' adorable form."

"Good work Envy, your lies fed them with enough bull to believe in anything they are told. But seriously, did you have to change into THAT form?" Lust said when she turned back at him. Envy walked up next to her and looked at the chaos unfolding downtown, "What else can I do? It's not like I want to change into my true form. Just forget about it and look out there, humans aren't even asking why they're being slaughtered like dogs, hell, they don't even have the time. It takes just a second for a bullet to pass through their heads." Lust shook her head, "You can be pretty sick sometimes, Envy." Envy replied, "Hmph, you're one to talk."

Gluttony asked, "Will they all die, Lust?" Lust petted Gluttony on the head, "Yes, Gluttony. They all will die." Gluttony then asked, "OH GOODY! Does that mean I get to eat them?" In disapproval, Lust pushed Gluttony's head down "No you may not." Lust then asked, "And Envy, what was all that noise from down stairs?" Envy replied, "Well apparently, we've got ourselves an uninvited guest. I thought I'd break a few bones to teach him a lesson about his heroic crap, but before I could finish-."

"FATHER CORNELLO, FATHER CORNELLO ARE YOU THERE?"

Two followers came up from the stairs while yelling, "Sire, the boy that came with the Elrics is here, and it looks like he's being chased by a giant creature! It's terrible, we need your-W-WHAT?" The followers then came face to face with Lust, Gluttony, and Envy. The second follower asked, "Who are you three? This is Father Cornello's private quarters, you shouldn't be here!"

Envy smiled and said, "Oh dear, these idiots don't know do they?" Lust then said to the followers, "Well how should I say this boys? Your leader's been gone for sometime." Envy agreed, "Yep, you can even say he's **LONG** GONE!"

The first follower took his spear and charged at Envy, "MURDERERS! YOU WON'T GET AWAY WITH-!" Before he could finish, Envy grabbed the follower by the collar and threw him out the window, to fall to his death. Then the other follower started to shiver in fear, "Y-you're not human! NONE OF YOU!" Lust then extended one of her fingernails, touching the follower's forehead, to stop him from running off and revealing their existence.

She walked over to him and asked, "Now, what's this about a boy being chased by a monster?"

(KRAKOOM!)

"WHAT WAS THAT?" Lust asked Envy, Envy and Gluttony looked down and saw a large dust cloud coming out of the temple entrance. Envy reported, "I'm guessing it's the 'giant creature'!" Gluttony then started smelling something, "(sniff)...? LUST!" As Gluttony pointed to what he saw, Lust pushed the follower away and went straight to the window to see what Gluttony was pointing at.

Gluttony said to Lust, "He's back! I recognize that sent!" Lust's eyes widened as she remembered the boy she bumped into a few days ago, and when she saw who jumped out of the dusty cloud. It was Sora, who had Vivi and Eiko in his arms! Lust smiled, "Well well, look who's back."

Envy asked, "Did I miss something?" Lust explained, "That boy came from Y. O. U. T. H. He was guarding the Elric Brothers when Cornello was still alive. So he's partially responsible for Cornello's failure." Envy then smiled, "Y. O. U. T. H. eh? Well then, I guess this kid's not some push over after all. Why don't we teach him a little lesson about eaves dropping?" Lust shook her head, "If I let you out, you'll tear him to pieces. It would be best if we take him in and question him. So I'll go, I have a talent for men after all. Oh, and Gluttony, you take care of the rest."

Lust passed the follower, who asked, "W-what does she mean by 'the rest'?"

Gluttony licked his chops and replied, "(giggle) She means the rest of you!"

(CHOMP!)

Sora stood back up after putting the two mage-kids down and started to dust himself off when suddenly, the Giant Centipede Golem from earlier came out of the dust cloud and attacked Sora! He grabbed the kids and lept out of the way, he kept running until he came to the black gates that surrounded the temple. The Giant Centipede lunged for Sora again, but the keybearer jumped on top of it's head and made for the exit.

_I can't fight this thing with these two involved!_ Sora thought. Then he noticed a part of the gateway destroyed, courtesy of the last attack from the Giant Centipede. He ran for the opening, but the Centipede got in Sora's way, causing him to think of a back-up plan...

He threw Eiko and Vivi over to the other side of the black gates!

After their faces collided with the ground, Vivi and Eiko woke up with sand in their mouths, spat it out, and then, they noticed Sora wasn't with them. Just then, Sora called out to them, "GET OUT OF HERE, LIOR'S NOT A SAFE PLACE TO BE ANYMORE!" Eiko replied, "You expect us to just leave you and the Ishbalins here to die?"

Sora dodged another attack from the Giant Centipede and said, "Don't worry, I'll find a way to save them!" Eiko shook her head, "It's too much work for you! The military will send more soldiers, they'll find out what you did here, and you'll go to jail for it!" Sora threw his Keyblade through the Giant Centipede's body, bringing it to the ground, and asked, "WELL WHAT DO YOU WANT ME TO DO?" Suddenly, the Giant Centipede's head came back up, and shocked Sora with a powerful force of electricity from it's antennae!

"SORA!" Vivi ran straight to Sora and tried to pull him away from the beast. While the Giant Centipede was starting to get back up, Eiko noticed that on the part of the body Sora attacked, a shadow-like skin was rapidly trying to cover it's inner body up, and underneath the skin, Eiko saw a bunch of pots that made up the body of the Giant Centipede. In fact, the creature's entire body seems to be made entirely by clay pots. Then Eiko realized, "Sora, Vivi, that thing's entire body, IT'S CERAMIC! It's made out of clay!" Vivi then looked at the creature's body and noticed the pots under the skin as well. He said to himself, "That...that's not a 'giant' centipede, _**IT'S A POT CENTIPEDE**_!"

Sora woke up with a look of disbelief and anger, "**...what?**"

Vivi slowly walked away as Sora stood back up and looked at the clay-made bug's shell breaking before him, "You mean to tell me that the large enemy I've been fighting...this bug-thing in front of my face...WAS CREATED FROM SOMETHING YOU USE FOR PLANTING COMON FLOWERS? SOMETHING THAT COULD BREAK EASILY? A FRIGG'N POT? WHO'S THE IDIOT WHO MADE THIS UP!"

"Guilty." Roger Rabbit said while walking by.

The Pot Centipede roared at the young Keyblade Master and used another set of lightning bolts to try and fry his prey, but the assassin was too nimble and fast for the creature to hit.

Eiko pulled Vivi by the sleeve and said, "THIS IS AWESOME! While Sora distracts the...Pot...Bug-urrrrr Centipede, you can shoot some of that funky Fire on it's face and burn it alive!" Vivi shook his head, "I-I'm sorry Eiko, I don't know how!" Eiko looked in annoyance at Vivi, "Don't...know? You shot a red-necked freak out of the temple...and you don't know? Why? Why don't you know?"

Vivi replied, "I-I guess it was one of those 'first time' things. Maybe if I learned how to-." Eiko pushed Vivi out of the way, "That could take months! You never had punctuality, so we'll figure it out later!" Eiko used her flute again and played a strange melody that made the earth shake...

Sora stopped and asked, "Uh...what's going on?" Suddenly, a giant monster came out of the ground, shocking Sora as it broke out of the earth, "Vivi, what did you-?" Eiko yelled, "AH SHYADDAP, I'M THE ONE WHO SUMMONED THE TITAN YOU IDIOT!" Sora looked at the giant with a amazed look and said, "...Titan? The Earth God?"

Eiko then said, "Just get out of the way Sora, Titan's got your back!" The titan gave a 'thumbs up' to Sora, and grabbed the Pot Centipede by the torso. He then threw the Golem creature into the temple, and then the Titan dug his fingers into the earth, and pulled out a large chunk of earth, then he threw the chunk at the Pot Centipede, destroying it once and for all!

The titan then started to sink back into the earth, and as he did, Sora ran to the two mages and said, "Vivi, Eiko, thanks for helping me back there." Vivi nodded, "You saved us from that large man, so the least we could do is return the favor." Eiko blushed and said, "Well, you know, I'm a summoner, so it wasn't a problem for me (Geez, I've never been thanked by a cute boy before)." Sora asked, "Did you say something Eiko?" Eiko shook her head, "N-no, just-never mind that, alright?"

Sora then looked over to the temple and said, "Geesh, that thing sure kept us busy. By now, Isaac's probably gone." Vivi asked, "Sora, weren't you here to try and stop him?" Eiko agreed, "Yeah, you were really into arresting this 'Freezer' guy. Aren't you angry?" Sora replied, "Well, yes, I'm disappointed, but you know, he's got some business with Central City. So he'll be easier to find once he arrives. I can let my superiors know, and we'll have Isaac back behind bars in no time."

"Besides...we have to do something about Lior's citizens." Sora, Vivi, and Eiko looked over to the streets of Lior, where they heard countless screams and gunshots. They knew what had to be done next...

End of Chapter 47

* * *

**Nect Chapter, The Keyblade Master joins the two mages to try and rescue a friend...**

**Please Comment.**


	48. Chapter 48

**Last time, Kadaj was recuperating in Crimson's castle when the Golem king himself returned. While resting on his throne, Crimson was accused by Kadaj for his recent actions. However, Crimson pointed out that the silver haired boy and his brothers had permission to push Sora around, but instead, they threatened his life, which Crimson didn't allow them to do. So Crimson explained his plan...to drive Sora to the point where he has no choice but to work for him. Crimson then asked if Kadaj still had the black orb, which he answered 'yes'. While Kadaj knew he had to find a random civilian to toss the orb at, Crimson had an idea about who to use the orb on...**

**Back in Lior, the strange woman, Lust, was watching the city burn with her obese friend, Gluttony. The two were then joined by the Fake-Cornello, who turned out to be a shape-shifting cross-dresser named Envy. Envy had succeeded in giving Isaac his secret weapon and an escape route out of Lior. Suddenly, a massive quake was felt underneath them, and then, they saw the cause, Sora, Vivi, and Eiko being chased by the giant centipede monster! Lust recognized the Keyblade Master and decided to bring him in for questioning...**

**Back on the ground, Sora tore though the monster, and found out that he wasn't fighting a monstrous centipede, he was just fighting a golem made of clay called the Pot Centipede! Together with Eiko's summoned monster, the Titan, Sora defeated the clay monstrosity. However, the Keybearer and the two mages knew the battle was far from over, they knew that for the next step, they would have to try and stop the bloodshed caused by the military Sora serves...**

**Warning: Kingdom Hearts and Fullmetal Alchemist are both licensed by Square-Enix. The secondary licenses for both franchises are Disney (Kingdom Hearts), Aniplex, Bones Inc., and Funimation (Fullmetal Alchemist). **

**PS: There will be spoilers.**

* * *

Fullmetal Kingdom: The Fanfic

Chapter 48: Evacuating Lior

Lior was filled with pain and blood-stained crosswalks, the citizens were being hunted down by the military, children were screaming for help, and death seemed imminent...

Hiding in the slums, Sora, Vivi, and Eiko saw an opening to the other side of the street. The trio covered up their appearances with cloaks from the trash. As they walked by, Sora said, "Man, this stinks!" Eiko said to Sora, "Quit your complaining, you should be happy that your making the right choice to save the Ishbalins-" Vivi then interrupted, "Uh, Eiko, I think he means the cloaks." Eiko replied, "...oh...yeah they do kinda smell."

The trio finally made it to the other side, when they heard someone, "MOMMY? MOMMY! ARE YOU THERE MOMMY?" Vivi peeked over and saw a girl, crying while looking for her mother. Vivi said to Sora, "I-it's a little girl." Sora looked at Eiko and said, "Let's help her find her mom." Eiko pulled Sora's shirt, "Careful Sora, this could be a-"

"Look, an Ishbalin child!"

Sora looked over to where the girl was, and then he saw three soldiers surrounding her, Vivi asked, "Sora...is she gonna be alright?" Sora replied, "I hope so, Vivi."

"Where are your parents, kid?"

The girl couldn't talk, she was too afraid of them to even move.

"I'm sorry we scared you, but I assure you, we're here to help."

But as the young soldier spoke to her, one of the soldiers took out a gun. The elder soldier said to the young soldier, "You'd best move out of the way...this is going to be messy." The young soldier was confused and worried, "Messy? What do you mean?" The soldier with the gun explained, "Our orders are to eliminate the threat...the Ishbalins."

"?"

Vivi shook with fear, "Eliminate...t-they're going to kill her?" Eiko was just as startled as Vivi, "They wouldn't! Not a kid...they wouldn't kill her...would they?" Sora readied his weapon, "They're wiping them out just because they believed Cornello. The Desert Paradise is now a Hell on Earth."

The young soldier pleaded, "You can't be serious guys! She's only a child!" The elder soldier replied, "I don't like it either, private, but these orders come from the secretary, and I'm sure you know which secretary I mean." The younger soldier's eyes were filled with fear, "The fuhrer's secretary?" The two soldiers nodded.

"So the Fuhrer told the secretary to give the order to kill these people?" Eiko guessed. Sora shook his head, "I don't believe it...I WON'T-!" Eiko covered his mouth, "Shhh, quiet! We can't attack while they're armed!"

The soldier pointed his gun at the little girl and said, "Orders...are orders. Forgive me, Ishbalin child."

"Don't shoot!"

The three soldiers turned around and saw Vivi, standing before them with tearful eyes. Vivi continued to beg, "Just walk away, please, leave her alone!" the elder soldier said to Vivi, "Disobey an order from the fuhrer? Child, this is no time for jokes, this is a battlefield, and the Ishbalins are the enemy!"

"Now THAT'S a joke!"

Out of the alley, the Keyblade knocked the elder soldier through a window, the gunner pointed his gun at the alley and yelled, "SHOW YOURSELF!"

(BONK!)

The soldier fell to the ground, unconscious from the blow to his head from Eiko's Tiger Racket. Eiko gave Sora the 'A-OK' hand signal, letting him know that it was alright to come out of the alleyway. Sora asked, "The guy was armed, and you still attacked. Wasn't that dangerous?" Eiko replied, "Yeah, it would have been, IF I didn't enhance my speed."

Sora smiled and patted Eiko on the head, "What matters is that you saved the girl. And that's what I would call 'a real hero'." Eiko blushed, "Aw, well, y'know, all that, I, it's just-" Vivi asked, "Eiko, you're looking a bit feverish." Eiko snapped out of her shyness, "I-I'm not sick, you dunce! I'm...(ahem) to the point!"

Sora approached the little girl and said, "Hi, I'm Sora, and this is Vivi, and Eiko. We've come to help you." The girl was still scared, so she asked, "A-are you one of them?" before he could answer, Sora noticed the younger soldier, holding a gun to his head. "D-DON'T MOVE! You three are under arrest!" Sora approached the soldier and asked, "You don't have to shoot me, you can help the Ishbalins escape this place. No one will have blood on their hands and you have my word, the colonel will understand."

The soldier slowly pointed the gun at Sora's forehead, "You think I'm an idiot? You're lying-"

"I'm the bodyguard of Edward Elric, the Fullmetal Alchemist, one of many soldiers, including Lieutenant Colonel Maes Hughes, husband and father, that works with the Flame Alchemist himself, Colonel Roy Mustang, Hero of the Eastern Rebellion! I was taken in by the military from one of their training grounds, the Y. O. U. T. H. Orphanage. My number was Number 516, and now, I am known by my name, Sora Hughes. Because of my reluctance to kill, and my skills at protection and defense, I was appointed as the Fullmetal's bodyguard, and I've had that role for 6...straining...PAINFULLY ANNOYING DAYS! **So unless you have a good reason to shoot me, I think we should cut to the part where we stop killing each other and save innocent lives!**"

"...O...K?"

After the soldier lowered his gun, Sora asked, "What's your name soldier?" The soldier replied, "Connor Manning?" Sora patted Connor on the shoulder and asked, "Is there a truck nearby?" Connor replied, "Yes, why?" Sora explained, "I need your help in getting the frightened masses out of Lior before they go crazy and join the mindless bloodshed. I'll bring them out of the city, then you bring the truck over to us, and we'll fill it up and get to a safe location. There IS a safe location, right?"

Connor replied, "Well...the military doesn't go there often, but we do know there is a small settlement of Ishbalins that live nearby Lior. They live in the old ruins of an old city." Sora smiled, "Thank you Connor. I'll see you outside the city." Connor then asked, "Wait Sora, what if the families you find are just as crazy as the followers?" Sora replied, "Trust me, I know an innocent bystander when I see one."

And with that, Connor separated from the group, while Sora turned to the little girl, "It's OK little lady, we'll get you and your friends to safety in no time." The girl stepped back, "I can't! I have to find mommy!" Sora went down on his knees to make eye contact with the girl and said to her, "I'm sorry, but this place is too dangerous for children. We don't even know if your mother-" Sora stopped when the girl's eyes were filling with tears. So Sora instead asked, "Is there a safe place around here? Where do the children go for safety?" The girl replied, "(sniff) W-well we do have one place, it's a day care run by a nice lady. She looks after us and keeps us safe." Sora smiled and said to Vivi and Eiko, "That's where we're going."

"Earth to Sora, Lior is a battlefield, this day care could be filled with merciless soldiers by the time we arrive!" Eiko asked. Sora replied, "If that happens, I'll handle them." Eiko bonked Sora on the head and said, "Sora, they know you! They get one look at you, and you'll be put in prison for betraying your buddies!" Sora patted Eiko on the head and said, "Like I said, 'I'll handle them'." Sora then grabbed a dirty towel from the garbage and then asked Vivi and Eiko, "Any of you guys have spare belts or something?"

Meanwhile in East City, Donald and Goofy arrived at the train station, where Havoc and Breda were waiting. Havoc asked, "What took you so long?" Donald replied, "We would've been here sooner if Goofy could use his two front legs!" Goofy pointed out, "Now Donald, you know I don't have paws fer hands, I'm a Genome, jus' like you!" Donald crossed his hands and shook his head in disappointment, "Excuses, excuses."

"HEY, CIRCUS FREAKS!"

Donald and Goofy looked at Breda as he stopped their fighting, so Breda continued, "That train should be here any moment, so unless you guys want to sit with the rest of the pets, I suggest you SHUT YOUR TRAPS!" In shock, Donald closed his mouth with his hand, slapping the two parts of his beak together. Goofy was about to say something, but Donald grabbed his mouth.

Havok then heard something coming, "Hey guys, I think our ride's here!" Donald, Goofy, Havok, and Breda stand ready for the train's arrival, but suddenly...

"WH-WHAT THE HELL IS THIS?"

A strange looking blue train with stars on it arrived. Breda asked, "Why are there mouse ears on the train?" While Havok and Breda questioned the train's appearance, Donald asked, "G-Goofy, is this...what I think it is?" Goofy nodded, "It is Donald, it's...It's-"

"That's right boys, it's Master Yen Sid's Emergency Locomotive."

The Genomes and soldiers turned around and saw Merlin walking into the station. Merlin explained, "This fine train was used by your president's master for many years. And it has only arrived for the most trying times of our lives." Havok asked, "Uh, who are you?" Merlin replied, "Well my cigar smoking friend, I am Merlin the Wizard. And since your train won't be ready for another 37 hours or so, I took the liberty of calling Yen Sid for help. And bless his old heart, he sent his magical train, the Emergency Locomotive to our aid."

Breda took a good look at the train, "A...magic...train. Are you serious? This thing is supposed to be our ride to Lior?" Merlin nodded with a ridiculous face of confidence and faith, "Yes, and if you believe with all your heart-" Havok stopped Merlin before he could continue, "Let me just stop you right there. You said 'our aid' right? Does this mean your coming with us?" Merlin nodded, "Why of coarse officer, the new Keyblade Wielder is vital to our survival. And it would be disastrous if we lost him to the enemy. Now hop to it boys, we have a long way to go!"

Breda shook his head, "I don't like the looks of that train Havok. It looks like something that popped out of a kid's picture book or something!" Donald already came in the train, but Goofy stopped and looked at Breda and Havok, who were still unsure of the train. The Genome walked towards them and smiled, "Don't be scared fellas, this train's always been reliable. It'll get us to Lior in no time at all."

Havok took a deep breath and walked towards the train, "Fine, I'll come on board. It's not like me to abandon a soldier in the battlefield." Breda was still unsure, so Goofy said, "Don't worry Mr. Breda, nothing bad's gonna happen." Breda then said, "Look Goofy, it's not that I'm scared, I'm just not buying the whole 'magic' thing. Plus...you're a-" Goofy started to weep, "(sniff) I get it, I'm a dog, and you hate dogs! (sniffle) YOU HATE ME(wine)!"

Breda scratched his head in regret, so he said, "I-I don't hate you, so quit crying. Goofy? Hey Goofy? QUIT IT ALREADY YA BIG BABY, I'LL GO!" Goofy wiped the tears from his eyes, and the snot from his nose and shook Breda's hand, "Oh thanks Mr. Breda. You're a prince, a swell guy, I know we can save Sora together (bursts with tears)!" Goofy hugs Breda, who just found out that Goofy's hands were still snotty, "Uh...yeah, I'm a nice guy...could you let go now, and maybe wash your hands?"

Elsewhere in Lior, Rose was still looking after the children when suddenly-

(CRASH)

A handful of soldiers barged in and cornered them! The children shivered with fear while Rose stood her ground. She kept whispering to the children, saying they'll be alright, when a middle-aged soldier stepped forward. He introduced himself, "I'm sorry to startle you mam, we are on a manhunt for dangerous followers of the man who lied to you, Father Cornello. I am the commander of this fleet, General Haruko. You don't have to be afraid anymore."

Rose looked at the General and asked, "If your here to stop Cornello, then why are you slaughtering our families and friends instead?" The general replied, "We spotted a few followers here not too long ago." Rose then said, "Well as you can see, there are only children here! I doubt the gorillas you're looking for are 4 ft. tall!"

Haruko bent over and looked Rose in the eye, "What's with the attitude? Ishbalins like you are usually very loyal to their God. Does this mean you've abandoned the teachings of your so-called priest? Hmph, alright then, tell us where the rebel faction is. You may have heard of it, they're the ones who are currently resisting the military government."

Rose asked, "**AND WHY SHOULD I?**" Furious, Haruko slapped Rose in the face and explained, "Don't yell at us like that! We're not your enemy, we came here to liberate this town from that tyrant, Cornello! We're trying to help you!"

Rose stood back up and said, "You're not interested in helping us, you're here for control. But this is our home, not yours! We're the only ones who can make it better! We'll fix it ourselves! We have legs, **WE'LL GET UP AND USE THEM!**"

End of Chapter 48

* * *

**Next Chapter, Sora races to evacuate the city...**

**Please Comment.**


	49. Chapter 49

**Last time, Lior was devastated by the military's forces, so Sora and the two mages, Vivi and Eiko, hid themselves in the slums and the alleys. While wondering how to evacuate the city, the trio heard a child cry out for her mother. As the girl cried, soldiers arrived, but they had no intention of letting her live, in fact, they were ordered by the Fuhrer's secretary to eliminate every Ishbalin in Lior! Without a second thought, Sora and the mages jumped in and rescued the girl! Sora then approached one of the soldiers, who's name was Connor, and introduced himself as Edward's bodyguard, assassin No. 516. The soldier was asked to bring over a truck to help them evacuate the city and rescue the innocent people that the soldier went out, the trio took the little girl to the one place she beleived to be safe, the daycare...**

**Back in East City, Donald, Goofy, Breda, and Havok were waiting in the train station for their ride to Lior. After a few minutes, their train arrived, but it wasn't the train they were hoping for, it was Yen Sid's Emergency Locomotive, a train that is summoned ONLY in desperate times. Merlin the Wizard arrived and explained that he was the reason for the train's arrival. He then boarded the train along with the soldiers and Genomes...**

**Back in Lior, Rose remained in the daycare with the children, keeping them safe from harm. But suddenly, a large brigade of soldiers arrived and pointed their guns at her. The leader of this army was General Hakuro, who ruthlessly demanded Rose to surrender and cooperate with them...**

**Warning: Kingdom Hearts and Fullmetal Alchemist are both licensed by Square-Enix. The secondary licenses for both franchises are Disney (Kingdom Hearts), Aniplex, Bones Inc., and Funimation (Fullmetal Alchemist). **

**PS: There will be spoilers.**

* * *

Fullmetal Kingdom: The Fanfic

Chapter 49: Past Tense

Lust dons a dark cloak while exiting the Temple of Leto. She hides her face under a hood and thought to herself, _Child of Y. O. U. T. H., your kind never left the military without permission, and now you're going to find out why._

(PINCH)

Lust looked down and saw a small scorpion next to her leg. It had already stung her with it's tail, and yet, the mysterious woman wasn't feeling ill. Instead, she sneered, "Hmph, insect." Lust continued walking into the streets of Lior while killing any soldier who questioned her and pointed a gun at her.

"_**I'm coming for you, Child of Y. O. U. T. H.**_"

Meanwhile, outside the building, Sora, Vivi, and Eiko were disguised as hooded merchants. Sora looked back at his friends and said, "Alright, we made it to the day care!" Eiko then pointed out, "Yeah, and like I said, 'it's filled with merciless soldiers!'" Vivi then pointed out, "Oh no, they're armed! If we show our faces, they'll-" Sora patted Vivi on the head, "I told you, I'll handle it."

Sora walks out of the alley, preparing to act like an old begger, when he heard a familiar voice...

"**WHY SHOULD I?**"

Sora looked towards the direction the voice came from and saw-"Rose? What's she doing in-?"

(SLAP)

Right before his eyes, Sora saw Haruko slapping Rose in the face.

Sora's heart started to fill with fury after seeing Rose get hit and yelled at by Haruko. While Sora's anger started growing, two soldiers approached him, "Hey you, what are you doing here? You wanna get killed?" Sora didn't notice the soldiers, instead, his eyes were fixed at Rose as she started to get up.

"Hey, are you listening? What's wrong with you?"

"Are you def kid? Hey, look at me when I'm talking to you!"

Rose stood back up and looked at Haruko, "...You're not interested in helping, you're here for control. But this is our home, not yours! We're the only ones who can make it better!"

"DID YOU HEAR ME ISHBALIN? **LOOK AT ME-**"

Sora glared at the soldier and quickly grabbed him by the collar...

Sora threw the soldier into the air...

"**We'll fix it ourselves! We have legs, WE'LL GET UP AND USE THEM!"**

And kicked him through the window!

(CRASH!)

To everyone's surprise, a soldier came through the window and knocked Haruko into a wall! Rose was just as startled as the soldiers and children, but then she heard someone calling out to her...

"**ROSE!**"

Rose's eyes widened as she remembered the voice. She ran to the broken window and saw her hooded savior, "S-Sora?" Sora then said to her, "Just wait for me, I'll get you out of there!" Suddenly, the remaining soldiers surrounded him and pointed their guns. But before they could pull the trigger, a large fist came from the ground and grabbed the soldiers behind Sora. And the others noticed that one of their men had a small patch of fire on their hat.

"WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHH!"

The soldier ran in circles while the soldiers tried to put it out when Sora took out his Avenger and knocked them unconscious. Vivi grabbed the burning hat and put the fire out by slapping it on the ground several times. Sora patted Vivi on the head and turned to Eiko, who had just finished using the Titan's grip on the other soldiers. He then asked Eiko, "Didn't I say I could handle it?" Eiko replied, "If we kept hiding, you'd be another dead man on the street."

Rose came out of the day care slowly, unsure of what to say. As she was walking closer to the group, the children followed. Sora asked, "Eiko, do you think it's safe to remove these hoods?" Eiko looked at each of the soldiers and replied, "They're out cold Sora, so yeah, I'd say it's safe." Sora happily replied while taking off the hood, "Finally, it was starting to smell!" "Well what did you expect? You grabbed these filthy things out of the garbage for crying out loud!" Eiko said while removing her cloak. Vivi then said while removing his cloak, "Well, at least we don't smell too bad." Eiko snapped and said to Vivi, "THESE THINGS SMELLED LIKE A OGLOP TAKING A-!"

"So it really is you."

The two kids and Sora turned around and saw Rose, who was standing right behind the Keyblade Master with a face filled with pain and anguish. She asked, "Did you come back, thinking that I'd forgive what you did?"

Sora scratched the back of his head and said, "When I was in Xenotime, people were talking about you. I was afraid about what they said, how you were alone, and you would end up like everyone else in Lior. I was...I had to find some way back to you! I told you once didn't I? I said 'you can count on me to come whenever there's trouble'."

(SLAP)

After slapping Sora, Rose then asked, "And who was the one who brought that 'trouble'? Who came here with a smile on his face, and a blade in his hand? Who comforts people with stupid stories about faith and hope? WHO LEFT ME HERE TO SEE MY CLOSEST FRIENDS GET KILLED BY THE VERY PEOPLE WHO SENT THE ELRICS? It was YOU! When I needed you the most, you were away with the military, playing 'defender of the innocent' while we were being chased and slaughtered! YOU LET THIS HAPPEN, YOU NEVER CARED, IN THE END, YOU WERE A MURDERER JUST LIKE I SAID!"

Sora felt terrible after hearing Rose's words, so he nodded and said to her, "...I did say you could hate me all you wanted. I guess I chose the right person to hate me." Tears came down from Sora's eyes, but he wiped them off so nobody would see his pain. But when he stopped wiping his eyes...

Rose ran to him and hugged him tightly.

Rose then said to him, "Those thoughts haunted me ever since Cornello came back. I stopped believing in your words, your smile, your carefree attitude. It was like I lost Cain again! … But you came...you came back to me...(sniff)...you came back...(sniff)...you..." Rose cried on his shoulder and she wouldn't let go, so Sora hugged her as well.

"Rose...I...I'll always come back to you."

Meanwhile, on the train to the desert...

"Donald, ya want some bean dip with that taco?" Goofy asked as he offered the dip. Donald jumped away in fear, "BEANS? **BEEAAAAAAAAAANNNSSS?**" Donald quacked maniacally as he fled from the cart over to the next, passing Havoc and Breda on the way. Breda noticed the taco mess on the ground, "Hey, why's the duck's lunch on the ground?" Goofy replied, "Sorry, I offered him something to go with it, and he was scared out of his feathers."

Havoc smiled in a sinister way, "Beans...huh?" Havoc snapped out of his 'dark' idea, and said to Goofy, "We need the duck here, we're almost there, and we can't have him scampering away like some scaredy cat." Goofy nodded, "That's right, if we're going to save Sora, we'll need all the help we can get." Goofy went to the next car to find Donald, while Havoc and Breda started loading their guns and packing their grenades.

As the soldiers were readying their equipment, Donald was clinging to to a lamp on the ceiling, muttering about how much he hated beans. Goofy came in and said to Donald, "Uh Donald, doesn't that hurt?" Donald snapped and replied, "THE BEANS WON'T TOUCH ME IF I'M UP HERE, THEY'LL BURN AWAY AND I'LL BE...AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAGH MY HANDS, MY BEAUTIFUL HANDS!"

Donald lets go of the lamp and drops into Goofy's hands, "BEAN FARMER!" Donald hides behind one of the seats, as Goofy tries to calm him down, "It's OK, I have no beans, I just came to tell you that we're almost there. We're approaching Lior now, and we need you with us when we arrive."

Donald stopped clinging to the seat and came in front of Goofy, with his expression changed, Donald took out his staff and said, "Well then, let's go get'em Goofy." And so, the two Genomes headed back to Breda and Havoc...

Back at Lior, Sora, Rose, Vivi, Eiko, and the Ishbalin families and children they found just came out of the city, where a truck was waiting. Sora called out, "Connor? Are you there?" Rose then saw something coming from the distance of the desert, "Sora, look!" Sora and the others saw another truck coming their way.

The truck made a stop in front of the group, and to their surprise, Connor came out and said to Sora, "I thought you might need two trucks." Sora gave Connor a high five and said, "Thanks Connor!" Sora turned around and asked, "Alright, does anybody know how to drive?" A few men and women raised their hands, Sora smiled and said, "Good, now, there's a settlement filled with Ishbalins near some old ruins of a city nearby. Just head towards that direction, and you'll be safe."

The Ishbalins nervously nodded and went into the trucks. Sora turned towards Vivi and Eiko and said, "It's not going to be safe here. You two have to go with them." Vivi was confused, "Wait, what about you?" Sora replied, "I'll hitch a ride on one of the trucks the military uses for supplies. I'll be fine." Vivi was still worried, so he said to Sora, "T-that's not a good idea Sora! The soldiers won't know you as one of their men! You'll be found out and-!" Sora bent down to look at Vivi's eyes and say, "You're still a kid Vivi, there's a whole world for you to explore. But if you keep worrying about me, you'll never live the way you wanted."

"Hurry up, we have to leave now!"

The Ishbalins were rushing pretty quick, and so Sora said to the black mage, "You have to leave, now! The Ishbalins need you to protect them! They need you and Eiko's magic and summoning to protect them from gunfire and any attack that comes from the other side. ...Please Vivi, I need to trust you!"

"B-but Sora, I-" Before Vivi could continue Sora carried him over to the truck Eiko and Rose were in, he then said to Vivi, "Look after Rose, understand?" Vivi watched as Sora walked away, and saluted Eiko, "Thank you for everything kid." Eiko then said, "Don't call me a kid Sora, I am a mature grown-up!" Eiko then came over and hugged the Keyblade Master, "Don't get into trouble, OK?" Sora replied, "Yes mam."

Sora stepped out of the truck and watched the first truck leave. Sora then turned towards the second truck, but to his surprise, Rose was in front of him. "R-Rose! W-why aren't you on the truck?"Sora asked, Rose took his hand and replied, "You've saved only a few of us, and yet, I know you did as much as you could. All I can say now is...Thank you...for saving me from Cornello. I should have said this before you left that day, so now I'm saying it, **thank you for everything!**"

"...Rose..."

The driver of the second truck called out, "ROSE, WE HAVE TO GO NOW, COME ON!" Sora and Rose looked at each other, and so Sora said to her, "Good bye Rose." Rose suddenly kissed Sora on the cheek and said, "...don't forget. Remember me." Rose jumps back into the truck as it started to head out. Sora waved at them as they drove off, and Rose, Vivi, and Eiko waved back. Vivi stopped waving and saw the vision of Sora and Lior fade as they got farther away...

Vivi started to worry, but Rose said to him, "He'll be fine, he's been a bodyguard for a while, so you shouldn't worry." Eiko patted Vivi on the back and said, "Yeah, she's right! We'll see him again, I know we will. ...we can trust him."

Seconds later, the truck was no longer visible. Sora smiled and said to himself, "...I can't believe I did that. I saved innocent Ishbalins from the wrath of my own caretaker's military. THIS IS THE GRATEST MOMENT OF MY LIFE!"

"Really? Then you have nothing left to live for."

Sora was startled, so he turned around and saw Lust, who removed her hood and revealed her face. Before Sora could say anything, the woman said to him, "You were never important to us, so I didn't mind the Elrics bringing extra baggage along with them, even if it was from a secondary group of scum like your...friends." Sora was shocked when he heard what Lust said, "Wait, how did you-?"

"-But now you're actions may have damned you, child of Y. O. U. T. H. Congratulations, or should I say...goodbye." She pointed her finger at Sora, who started to recognize her, "...I've seen you in the temple! You were one of Cornello's followers, weren't you?" Lust shook her head, "Actually, it was the other way around. He was ours to begin with, and even after death, he served his purpose."

Sora was startled, "...Cornello's dead?" Lust smiled, "Yes. Haven't you heard? Oh, no need to feel left out. The killing will continue, **and your next-**" But before Lust could attack, she felt something sting through her head!

"My my, what a beautiful shell your wearing."

Lust then noticed the same scorpion that stung her on the leg crawl past her, and into the hand on a silver haired boy, "KADAJ?" Sora recognized the young man as the same one he encountered on the train. Loz and Yazoo then came next to their brother, Kadaj then said, "Good news, Keybearer, Crimson's chosen the next subject for your newest test!"

End of Chapter 49

* * *

**Next Chapter, The Keyblade is put to the test as Lust is overwhelmed by a savage persona...**

**Please Comment.**


	50. Chapter 50

**Last time, Sora brought the little girl to the daycare she spoke of, only to see Rose being cornered by the military. When the general slapped Rose, the Keybearer attacked him and his men! The heroic swordsman received a slap from Rose, believing that she hasn't forgiven him for his previous actions in Lior. Sora was heartbroken, but was then hugged by Rose, who's heart was racing with happiness from knowing that Sora did indeed return as he promised...**

**The Keyblade Master then proceeded with his friends to find and bring the Ishbalin families out of Lior, where Connor was waiting for them. Connor brought two trucks for the Ishbalins to use, and he then headed back to his brigade to avoid any suspicion. The Ishbalins then filled the trucks, and as Vivi and Eiko went inside with Rose, Sora decided to remain in Lior to try and find another way of escaping, he had to keep the Ishbalins and the young mages as far away from the military as possible. Sora then asked Vivi to protect Rose for him, then he saluted Eiko, bidding them farewell. But before Rose left, she told Sora to remember her, and she kissed him on the cheek to symbolize how important he is to her...**

**As the trucks drove away, Sora was then confronted by Lust, who just told him about Cornello's passing. As Sora was shocked by the sudden news, Lust was preparing to kill him with her extending fingernails,but before she had the chance, she felt a sharp pain in her skull! Then she noticed a scorpion pass by, the same one that stung her when she came out of the temple to find the Keybearer. The scorpion went into the hands of it's master...Kadaj, one of Crimson's Remnants! Kadaj then told Sora to prepare himself for Crimson's latest test...**

**Warning: Kingdom Hearts and Fullmetal Alchemist are both licensed by Square-Enix. The secondary licenses for both franchises are Disney (Kingdom Hearts), Aniplex, Bones Inc., and Funimation (Fullmetal Alchemist). **

**PS: There will be spoilers.**

* * *

Fullmetal Kingdom: The Fanfic

Chapter 50: Lushus Luxurias

"What does a woman have to do with your idea?" Kadaj asked, Crimson replied, "That is no woman, that **thing** is one of many dolls given flesh named 'Homunculi'." Kadaj's face lit up in fascination, "...Homunculi? This woman...is one of their kind?" Crimson answered, "Her AND her hungry companion. The easiest way to tell is the Mark of the Oroboros, they are found on ANY humanoid husk that was molded by alchemy."

Kadaj looked at the Black Orb and said, "We've seen your powers on a human, so you want to see what a Homunculus looks like when they are infected?" Crimson nodded, "Indeed. You will proceed to Lior and 'present the present' to the faker, but while your at it, don't say a thing about the Homunculi to the Keyblade Master. Perform this task for me Kadaj, and I promise you, your quest for your mother will be a short one." Kadaj turned around and set off to recruit his brothers, but before he left, he asked, "Is it alright if I made some changes to your plan?" Crimson asked, "What kind of changes?" Kadaj explained, "...I may need a husk of my own..."

Minutes later, outside of Lior, Kadaj petted his scorpion, "I should thank Crimson for changing your appearance, my pet." The scorpion then started to change back into it's original form...the Black Orb. Sora looked at Lust as she was suffering from the black scorpion's seemingly affective sting. He then asked, "What did you do to her?" Kadaj replied, "I've set the trap, that's what I did. She's unable to move because of the poison from the Black Orb. The effects can be countered, but only if I apply the rest of it!"

Kadaj threw the Black Orb at Lust, and to his horror, Sora watched as the orb turned into an oozy creature that engulfed her. She kept screaming for the pain to stop, but the ooze didn't listen. And then, when the ooze completely covered her body, Lust started to change into something inhuman. Her long dress, with her legs, became a reptilian tail with guillotine-like blades circling the end of it, her arms were strapped together by bone-like bandages, four spikes came through her back, and her face was being pulled back to show a grotesque face while bandages covered it up, except for the teeth, the hair, antennas on her forehead, and the red, cat eye. Lust's form changed into something reflecting a large and deformed king cobra.

Kadaj then said to Sora, "Here's how it works, Keybearer, the orb that fuzed with this woman has changed her into a Golem. If you're not in the mood to see anymore bloodshed, then I suggest you get your Keyblade and tear the creature off of her before it tears everyone in Lior apart!" Sora asks, "Why are you doing this?" Kadaj didn't reply, instead, he and Loz summon a large black hole and escape.

Yazoo was about to follow, but then he pointed his gun at Lust, and shot her! Yazoo then said, "I'd move it if I were you." Yazoo made his way through the black hole and left Sora alone to deal with an angered Golem Monstrosity.

The creature Lust became was convinced that the bullet came from Sora, so it took a deep breath...and shot a barrage of thin, sharp needles at him!

Sora lept out of the way, but one of the needles pierced his shoulder! As Sora cradled the wound, Lust lashed at him with her tail, trying to smash the Keybearer's body. Sora dashed to the left, then to the right to avoid another barrage of needles. As he did, Lust bit Sora by the leg, and threw him away, into one of Lior's buildings.

Sora staggered to his feet, "Now I know what a Blitz Ball feels li-"

(BRAKOOM)

Lust's tail busts through the wall and grabs the Keybearer, and with him in it's grasp, she started gripping Sora's neck. His breath was starting to weaken with every squeeze, Lust gripped tighter, and tighter, and it seemed hopeless...

But at that moment, a ball of flame came right at Lust, forcing her to release Sora from it's grasp! Sora stood up and gasped for air when he saw his savior rush to him, "...Vivi?" The monster shook off the pain on it's face and hissed at the little black mage. Sora yelled, "IDIOT! WHAT ARE YOU DOING HERE? YOU'RE SUPPOSED TO BE WITH EIKO, ROSE AND THE ISHBALINS!" Vivi replied, "ROSE WAS CAPTURED!"

"!"

Vivi continued while blasting more Fire spells at Lust, "It happened after we separated from you!"

Moments earlier, Eiko patted Vivi on the back and said, "Yeah, she's right! We'll see him again, I know we will. ...we can trust him." Vivi nodded, but he still felt unsure. But suddenly, the truck stopped. Confused, Eiko asked, "Hey, why did we stop?" Rose replied, "I don't know." Rose called out to the driver, "Excuse me sir, why did we stop-?"

(SNIKT)

A sword that appeared to be a bat-wing went through a part of the truck, startling the Ishbalins and the two mages. The blade slowly went through the truck towards the back, so Eiko pulled Vivi up to his feet and said, "Get ready 'V', he's coming!" Vivi nods and along with Eiko, he prepares himself for whatever comes next...

The back of the truck opens, and Eiko prepares to summon, "TERRESTRIAL RA-!" But before Eiko could finish, the mysterious swordsman blasted her with black fire, knocking her unconscious. Vivi stands in the swordsman's way, "St-stay back! Or I-I'll-" The swordsman slapped Vivi out of the truck, and pointed his blade at him...

"LEAVE HIM ALONE!"

Rose ran to Vivi, cradling him in her arms. She looked at the swordsman and asked, "Are you with them? You should know who I'm talking about! The military, THEY sent you here, didn't they? WHY CAN'T YOU JUST LEAVE US IN PEACE?"

The swordsman replied, "Because you're all parasites. You are disgusting...idiotic...self-righteous parasites. The only use for 'things' like you would be as lab rats...for my master's quest to better the world and it's chaotic flow. You even went so far as to contaminate my friend, MY BROTHER IN ARMS! ...but he'll never have to see that face again. Sora will be free from your disgusting appearance, never again tainted by you and your people's touch and words. He'll...have...ME!"

Rose became frightened by the swordsman's psychotic and racial words, "You're insane! Sora isn't contaminated, he's a good person! HE WAS ALWAYS A GOOD PERSON! He cares for us! To him, we're just as normal as every other person in the world! Why would you curse us for being loved by someone kindhearted?"

"SHUT UP!"

The swordsman grabbed Rose by the throat and pointed his sword at her chest, "...I...will never...forgive you! Even if I'm under orders, I'll still rip you in-!" Vivi tackled the swordsman, making him release Rose from his grasp! Riku grabbed Vivi and said, "You know Sora...don't you? Well then, you can tell him this..."

"...his princess is waiting for him at Destiny Islands. The place where we promised to meet again."

Sora was shocked to hear this, "Vivi, what did he look like?" Vivi blasted Lust away and replied, "He had...aqua colored eyes...he had short white hair...he had a sword that looked like a bat-wing-" Sora grabbed Vivi by the collar, "SHORT WHITE HAIR?" Vivi nodded, so Sora put him down, and dropped to the ground, shocked at the identity of the man who kidnapped Rose, "...Riku...it was Riku!"

(SCREEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE)

Lust came out of the sand and lashed at Sora and Vivi, who jumped out of the way! Sora then asked, "What about the Ishbalins and Eiko? Are they alright?" As soon as Sora finished asking, Lust spat out more thorns and spikes. Sora picked up Vivi and ran like Hell away from Lior. The thorns kept coming, and all the heroes could do is run away before the creature scores a shot.

As Sora ran, Vivi answered his question, "He took them, he took the truck and drove away with them and Eiko! I-I couldn't catch up with him, and I couldn't use any fire spells on the truck! There were still people in there, and I...Sora, I'm sorry, I HAD to come to you, you're the only one who can-" Before Vivi could finish, Lust came out of the sand and shot more needles at them!

Sora tossed Vivi aside and blocked the needles with his Keyblade. But while he was blocking them, Lust slithered closer, so at the last minute, the young Keyblade Master slashed through her, but at the same time, he pulled what appeared to be black webbing off of her. Sora then noticed that Lust's arm was slipping out of the shadowy skin he tore through. Sora looked at his blade and thought, _I tore through that thing...when even fire couldn't burn it? That woman is covered by this thing, so maybe, maybe I can..._ Sora then looked at the abomination in front of him, and said, "...come and get me."

(RAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAGGGGGHH)

Lust screamed and lunged at him, so Sora threw his blade up into her chin, and as it fell, Sora caught it and sliced through the bandages that were pulling on Lust's face! Then she lashes at him with her tail, but he jumps over the attacks one by one, and after several more attacks, Sora cuts the tail off, releasing Lust's legs! But despite freeing most of her body from the black orb's influence, Lust still seemed like she was being controlled.

She looked at Vivi, who was starting to get back up, and she shot thousands of needles at him! Sora jumped in the way, and was pierced through the shoulders, the stomach, and his left arm! Vivi rushed to Sora, who said to him, "R-run Vivi...you have to run..." Vivi shook his head, "I can't...I WON'T!" The black mage turned around and released more fire spells, thus temporarily blinding Lust. Vivi then put Sora's arm over his shoulder and started to run, "I've been afraid all my life, but I'd be terrified if something happened to you!"

Suddenly, the spikes on Lust's back started glowing red, Sora started to wonder, "Those spikes...they look almost like...the Red Stones from Xenotime! CRAP, SHE'S GONNA USING PHILOSOPHER STONES TO ATTACK!" The red spikes sunk into Lust's back, and then, the red lines, and even the tattoo, on her body started to glow. Sora could tell what was happening, the strange woman's power was increasing.

Lust's fingers started to grow into red-tipped claws, and she dashed after Sora and Vivi! But to Lust's surprise, Vivi span around and unleashed an ice attack, "BLIZZARD!" And then, to Lust's shock, she was instantly encased in ice! Vivi continued running, but Sora said to him, "That won't hold her, we're in a desert after all."

The Keybearer was right, for the ice that surrounded the creature started to melt...and break! Lust then bursts out of her icy prison, and to the heroes surprise, she disappeared! Sora and Vivi looked around for her, but she was no where to be seen...

(SLASH)

Sora fell down as Lust clawed through his back! She then disappeared again, making Sora realize, "The Philosopher Stones inside her have just increased her speed! Vivi, we have to get-" before Sora could finish, he and Vivi were kicked into the air! She grabbed the black mage and the Keyblade Master by their throats, and threw them down! After that, she began coming down towards them, with her claws ready to pierce their bodies...

A few miles away, a taxi was coming through the desert. Inside, Havok was driving towards Lior while Breda was sleeping, and Donald was lecturing Goofy about his bean love. Donald said to his companion, "Bean, beans, BEANS! You just can't stop with beans, can you?" Goofy replied, "They're scrumptious Donald, and they are a 'veggie-table' delicacy!" Donald shook his head, "DELICACY? A Thanksgiving Turkey is a delicacy! What you have been eating for the last couple of days is a Nightmare On Elms Street!"

Breda was startled by the yelling and said, "Will you guys quit yelling? We're almost there...right Havok?" Havok shook his head, "Nope." Breda sighed, "Damn it. How long are they going to argue about beans?" Havok replied, "Probably for the whole trip."

But as the group were coming closer to Lior, Donald spotted something, "Uh, why is there a red light shining in the distance?" Havok replied, "They're probably explosions. Lior IS a battlefield after all." But just then, a wave of red light bursts out and breaks the windows in the cab! Goofy asks, "Gwarsh, do ya guys think Sora's over there?" Havok nodded, "Well, it's worth taking a look." Havok lights a cigarette and drives towards the red light.

Back where Sora and Vivi were, Vivi had his eyes closed just before Lust was about to drop down and run her knife-like claws right through them...

But after a few seconds, Vivi opened his eyes and saw an injured Sora...impaling Lust with his Keyblade. Though Lust's claws were through him, Sora clearly had the upper hand. He sliced through Lust and tore out the last of the Black Ooze that covered her, releasing the mysterious woman from it's control, as well as removing her claws from his body!

Sora dropped his blade and smiled at Vivi, "...y'know...you're not too shabby...at spell casting. Thanks to...that electric...spell you used, we were...able to remove the Golem from her. I...shouldn't have yelled at you earlier...you...did what you could...and THAT'S...why I'm so happy to call you my friend...don't worry...I swear...we'll find...R-Rose, Eiko and...the Ishbalins...we ca-(GACK)!" Sora suddenly coughed up blood, and fell down, weakened by the battle.

As Sora fell, Lust started to regain consciousness. She rubbed her head and looked at Sora, who was being cared for by Vivi. She stood back up and said, "What happened boy? ...TELL ME WHAT HAPPENED!" As she yelled, Vivi replied, "Y-you were being controlled by some strange creature! Sora, h-he used his Keyblade to save you and remove that thing from you!"

Lust looked over to Sora, who was unconscious, and so she thought to herself, _This boy...he was the one who saved me? He doesn't know what I am, and yet he's still a threat to our plans. Hmm, perhaps this Child of Y. O. U. T. H. has some strengths that could be...beneficial._

"HEEEEEEEEEEEEEEYYYYYY!"

Vivi and Lust then noticed two soldiers, and two Genomes rushing towards them. It was Havok, Breda, Donald and Goofy. Donald then noticed Sora, bleeding on the sand, "GUYS, IT'S SORA! HE'S BADLY WOUNDED!" Breda ran to Sora and took out some medical equipment. Goofy came to Breda's aid and asked, "Gwarsh, i-is he gonna be alright Breda?" Breda replied, "Just give me a minute, will ya? Bandaging the wounds takes serious and delicate work! Hey Havoc, you got the bandages, right? ...Havok?"

Havok was distracted by Lust's beauty to pay attention, "Hey there, nice dress pretty lady. Black actually suits you, like the glimmering night sky!" Lust wondered, _Is this idiot...hitting on me?_ She then replied, "(giggle) Oh stop it you little devil!" Havok then asked, "So, I'm a hero...yeah, I come from the military base from Central City, yeah, I came from East City to save a life...yep, heroes go where they're needed! 'Name's Jean Havok, and I got a way with...stuff." Lust thought to herself, _Charming, for a pinhead._ She then said to him, "Well, it's kinda funny, because I live in Central City to. I'd love to see you there sometime. ...the name is Solaris. My friends call me Sol." Havok smiled, "Ooooh...I don't know what that means."

Lust then said to Breda and Goofy, "So when will this boy wake up? I have to...thank him for saving my life." Goofy replied, "It's going to take some time mam, but if we get him back to East City, he'll be just fine." Lust was a bit confused by Goofy and Donald's appearance, but she shook it off and said, "Well alright, I guess I can wait. By the way, can I have a ride to East City...Jeanie?" Havok blushed and replied, "W-well...OK!" Breda and Donald shook their heads in embarrassment.

Goofy carried Sora, and the group, alongside Lust, headed back to the taxi. But Vivi ran in front of them and said, "Please, take me to!" Havok said to Vivi, "Uh, no offense kid, but this isn't a free ride, this is military business. So scram!" Lust then said, "Aww, come on Jeanie, HE saved my life to!" Havoc nodded, "A-alright, he can come!"

So Vivi walked alongside them, knowing that someday, he and Sora will be able to find their allies...

End of Chapter 50 and the Battlefield Arc

* * *

**Next Chapter, the heart awakens in darkness as Sora dives into the unknown...**

**Please Comment.**


	51. Chapter 51

**Last time, Crimson sent the Remnants (Kadaj, Loz, Yazoo) to use a strange Black Orb on Lust to see the results of what would happen when a Homunculus is possessed by a Golem. The results were a vicious Golem snake-like creature known as the Lushus Luxurias.**

**The Remnants then told Sora that he needed to tear the Golem off the strange woman with the Keyblade, easier said than done.**

**Sora wasn't a match for the creature's speed and strength, and just when hope seemed lost, he was helped by Vivi, who used his new found magical power to engulf the Golem in flames. Though Sora was thankful, he still wanted to know why Vivi was still in Lior, and not with Rose, Eiko, and the Ishbalin survivors. So Vivi told him that a strange white-haired assassin with a bat-wing-like blade kidnapped both Eiko AND Rose. The assassin then told Vivi to give Sora a message...**

**"His princess is waiting for him at Destiny Islands. The place where we promised to meet again."**

**The Keyblade Master didn't want to beleive it, but he knew who kidnapped his friends...**

**Riku.**

**After the little Black Mage told him, Sora resumed his fight with the Golem that controlled Lust. The creature scarred, stabbed, and brutally beat Sora, but in the end, he managed to best the Golem, and tore it off of Lust.**

**As Sora lied unconsciously on the sand, Donald, Goofy, Breda, and Havok, came to his aid. But as they, Vivi, and Lust headed back to the train station, Sora's slumbering mind began to drift elsewhere...**

**Warning: Kingdom Hearts and Fullmetal Alchemist are both licensed by Square-Enix. The secondary licenses for both franchises are Disney (Kingdom Hearts), Aniplex, Bones Inc., and Funimation (Fullmetal Alchemist). **

**PS: There will be spoilers.**

* * *

Fullmetal Kingdom: The Fanfic

Chapter 51: Dive to the Heart

(SPLASH)

Sora regained consciousness and noticed something strange, he was not in water, yet it felt like he dove into something. He looked around, and there was nothing but darkness. He was falling downwards towards what seemed to be an endless pool of shadow and emptiness. Sora asked himself, "Where...am I?" Just when the young Keybearer thought no one would answer, he heard a girl's voice...

_**So much to do...**_

_**So little time...**_

Just then, Sora's feet touched something solid. And to his surprise, what he stepped on started to rip apart! The floor was now shining brightly while the torn pieces of the ground turned into doves that flew away into the darkness. The floor Sora was on then changed into what looked like a circular stained glass platform. And on it, he saw his home, Destiny Islands, with a shadowed man looking into the sun as it sets. Sora recognized the image, "This is...Destiny Islands!"

_**The Door is still shut. **_

_**Now step forward. **_

Confused, Sora decided to listen to the voice and step forward. He hesitated at first, thinking that it could be a trap.

_**Can you do it?**_

Sora replied, "That depends, will you tell me why I'm here?"

_**Power sleeps within you.**_

And to his surprise, large stones emerged from the ground! The first stone had a shield on it...

_**If you give it form...**_

The second stone had a strange looking staff...

_**It will give you strength.**_

And the third had a sword.

Sora sarcastically said, "**Great**, in return for walking a few steps, you give me a blade, a stick, and a plate. What are you thinking?"

_**The power of the guardian. Kindness to aid friends. A shield to repel all. **_

_**The power of the mystic. Inner strength. A staff of wonder and ruin. **_

_**And the power of the warrior. Invincible courage. A sword of terrible destruction **_

_**Your path is set, Keyblade Master Sora.**_

The weapons then changed into balls of light that flew at Sora. He tried to take out his Avenger, but to his surprise, his weapon wasn't with him. The three balls of light stopped in front of Sora and merged into an orb of beautiful light. The light blinded Sora, and in an instant, the orb changed into his Keyblade.

Sora then said, "Well...I am a guardian. I don't know about my 'inner strength'. And my sword DOES kick ass. But you're saying too much, I'm not as perfect as you think. There might have been Keyblade Masters better than me."

Just then, a sound echoed through the dark area...

(CRACK)

Sora looked down and noticed the ground was starting to break. He then asked, "IS THIS BECAUSE I DISSAGREED WITH YOU?" And with that, the stain glass platform of Destiny Islands shattered into a million pieces!

"!"

As he fell, Sora saw another stain glass platform. Unlike the last one, it represented a baron wasteland, where a dark figure was stabbing a young boy with a bulkier Keyblade. Sora fell face down on the ground, and said, "What happened? I though I would just float down, not SMACK DOWN!" As Sora rubbed his nose, he noticed something emerging from the ground..."A GOLEM!"

_**You've gained the power to fight.**_

"...oh yeah." Sora said as he brought out his Keyblade. The Shadow Golem jumped right at the young man, only to be sliced through like butter. Sora smirked, "Hmph, too easy!"

_**Alright! You've got it! **_

_**Use this power to protect yourself and others.**_

Sora swung his Keyblade onto his shoulder in pride and said, "I don't know who this is, but you have my word, I'll protect as many as I can!" Suddenly, a claw grabbed him by the throat and threw his Keyblade off the stained glass platform! Sora was then thrown off, but miraculously, he held onto the edge of the platform, and started to climb back up. But suddenly, the creature that attacked him, the Soldier Golem, came before him, and kicked one of Sora's hands off the ledge!

_**There will be times when you HAVE to fight without the Keyblade.**_

"NOW she tells me!" Sora then grabbed the Soldier by the leg and threw him down into the endless abyss. He finally came back up, but to his dismay..."Oh great...tubby's here to." The Large Body Golem tried to grab Sora, but he dodged in time and rolled under it's arm. As Sora got back up, the voice told him...

_**Keep your darkness hidden... **_

_**And your light burning strong.**_

The Large Body charged at him, so Sora grabbed it by the arm and tossed it off the platform. But before he could celebrate-

_**Behind you!**_

A large group of Neoshadows appeared and pounced on him from behind! Sora threw one off and batted the rest away! Feeling a bit out numbered, Sora started wishing he had the Keyblade in his hand, when suddenly, the Keyblade returned!

_**The Keyblade is loyal when you call upon it.**_

_**Even when it is miles away, you can summon it.**_

Just when the voice finished her sentence, the Neoshadows attacked Sora by surprise. Sora looked at his assailants and saw that they were pulling him downwards...into a black hole! They sunk in while Sora struggled to break free from their grip, but it was too late, the Keybearer already sank into the dark abyss...

Sora then woke up on another platform, this stained glass platform had a tall young man and a girl standing before a magnificent castle while helping the boy (who was attacked earlier on the last platform) back to his feet. Sora then noticed a strange white door on the edge of the platform. He figured that it was a way out of wherever he was. But as soon as he grabbed the knob, he realized that it was locked.

_**Hold on. **_

Sora looked around and asked, "Oh great, what is it now?"

_**The door won't open just yet.**_

Sora yelled out, "NO DUH! Do you have the keys around here or something? Wait, don't tell me, you're gonna sick more Golems on me and make me perform tricks with my magic sword? JUST WHAT DO YOU WANT FROM ME?"

_**First, tell me more about yourself.**_

Sora shook his head in disbelief, and then, he took a deep breath, trying to calm down, and said to the voice, "Well, you know my name, and you know about the Avenger's alternate look...and annoying nickname, the Keyblade. ...what do you want to know?"

_**Anything, like...well...**_

_**I know, what is it you want from life?**_

Sora answered, "From life? Well, I enjoy seeing rare sights like Lior and Central City. I like expanding my horizons a bit by meeting other people and experiencing new stuff. All in all...I want to be stronger than I am right now."

_**(giggle) You're just like-...I should ask the next question.**_

_**What's most important to you?**_

Sora answered, "It's hard to say...I like proving my strengths and being number one. But on the other hand, I think friendship is what matters the most in my life. ...and then there's my prized possessions. I mean, my sea shell collection and the trinkets I found while surfing-"

_**Alright, that's enough, I get it.**_

_**But...what are you afraid of?**_

_**Getting old?**_

_**Being singled out for being different?**_

_**Or...making a regretful decision that costs you something...irreplaceable?**_

Sora felt a bit shaken by the question, "What do you mean by that?"

_**Did you regret leaving her? **_

_**Would it have been better if you stayed with her? **_

_**Was your battle more important than looking after her?**_

"ENOUGH! I...I know I made a mistake! I wanted to do the right thing, but I didn't know Riku would...he wouldn't." Sora clenched his fists in anger, knowing that nothing would change what Riku did.

_**...your adventure begins at dawn.**_

_**As long as the sun is shining, your journey should be a pleasant one.**_

_**The day you will open the door is both far off and very near.**_

Just then, the door was unlocked. Sora then said, "This door...is it my way out of here? ...hey voice, before I go, I want to know something, who are you?" The door opened in front of Sora, surprising him for a second, but what he saw was more than surprising...it was startling!

_**I'm your greatest fear.**_

It was the girl from his nightmares! With the same long red hair, the same giggling, the same red dress, the face-hidden teenage girl was right before him! She fell on to Sora, but as he caught her, he felt weak...almost in pain...

He fell on his back, and saw a dagger piercing through his chest! The girl was the one who stabbed him and laughed while lying on him. She lifted her head...

_**Don't be afraid of me...**_

_**Don't forget about me...**_

_**Don't be afraid of me...**_

_**Don't forget about me...**_

_**Don't...afraid...**_

_**Don't...forget...**_

_**Don't...me...**_

_**...don't...don't...don't...**_

The girl's face was then revealed as a skull!

End of Chapter 51

* * *

**Next Chapter, Sora awakens to find one surprise after another...**

**Please Comment!**


	52. Chapter 52

**Last time, Sora found himself in a dream unlike anything he ever experienced, he was in a dark world filled with stain-glass pillars, where an anonymous voice was calling out to him, testing him, and training him. The tests included weapon choices, battling Golems, and answering questions about himself.**

**The dream then took a strange turn for the worse when Sora was standing before a odd looking door. And when he was asked about what he feared the most, the voice told him an unbelievable truth...that it was his worst fear! The door opened, and the voice was revealed to be the red-haired girl form his dreams of Namine. She then ran to Sora...and stabbed him. And as he looked at her face from beneath her hair, he saw horror beyond any nightmare he ever had...**

**Warning: Kingdom Hearts and Fullmetal Alchemist are both licensed by Square-Enix. The secondary licenses for both franchises are Disney (Kingdom Hearts), Aniplex, Bones Inc., and Funimation (Fullmetal Alchemist). **

**PS: There will be spoilers.**

* * *

Fullmetal Kingdom: The Fanfic

Chapter 52: 'K' Was Here

"_**!"**_

Sora woke up with sweat and tears coming down from his face. He covered his eyes and said to himself, "(sigh) That girl again...what are these nightmares about? Red hair... red dress...killing instinct...she...she can't be real!"

"Sounds like you've been having trouble sleeping."

Sora wiped his tears off and saw the one who spoke to him...Lust, the mysterious woman who approached him in Lior. Lust smiled and said, "Nice to see you again...Sora, was it? I'm Solaris, it's a pleasure." Sora asked, "You...you were the woman from Lior. ...You're here to kill me, aren't you?" Lust smirked, "You remembered? Perfect, then you should know how much I hate nosy little brats like you."

Sora then said to her, "You said something to me earlier. You said I was scum like my friends. Do you know where they are?" Lust answered, "Your friends? Y. O. U. T. H. operatives don't know OR HAVE any friends." Sora was angered by Lust's reply, so he tried to get up, but he couldn't, due to his injuries and bandages. He felt the pain on his shoulder and sat back down on his hospital bed.

Lust walked towards him while sharpening her nails, "That's right, nowhere to run, nowhere to hide. You are mine now, all mine. You say the Y. O. U. T. H. assassins are you're friends, but are you sure about that? Can you REALLY be sure? Some of them killed many people, and none of them broke down in tears. You seem to be the only one who thinks he has friends in that wretched orphanage. Have you forgotten the price for living as one of them? Or...maybe you weren't trained the way they were, that could be why you're so...emotional."

Sora asked again, "Were are they Solaris?" Lust replied, "Stop pretending you care. In Y. O. U. T. H., there is no such thing as emotions. You are empty, and so are they, in fact I wouldn't be surprised if they forgot you after a few seconds. But don't feel sorry for them, they would have left you for their objective. That's how it is to be a Y. O. U. T. H. Assassin, you put the past behind and concentrate on the future. Even the rouge assassin left you-" Before Lust could finish, Sora jumped out of the bed without even caring about the pain in his body and yelled, "**I SAID WHERE ARE THEY?**" Lust only smiled and whispered, "**You...are...alone. With no one to hold your hand as you gaze at their careless faces.**"

Sora's anger became limitless, so he made a fist and prepared to punch the heartless woman...

...but he restrained himself, "I'm not like that. I'll never...I will never cross that line."

Sora sat back down on his bed and wiped the tears off his eyes. Lust shook her head, "Couldn't do it, could you? In the end, you're powerless to save the ones you love. You can't even interrogate someone correctly." Lust turned towards the door, but before she left, she said to him, "...stay with the Fullmetal and be happy with what you already have. Think about it cowboy, it's no use riding off into the sunset if your riding alone."

When Lust left, a broken spirited Sora pounded his fist on a wall and said, "...I kept...I kept going because I believed in them. Everyone calls them killers, I call them brothers and sisters. Is it really pointless to save them? ...Riku?"

(WHAM) "SORA?"

Alphonse runs into the room and surprises Sora. Along with Al was Donald and Goofy, who were also glad to see he was alright. Al hugged Sora tightly, "You're back, you're really back! We were worried about you!" Sora gasped for air, "(gasp) OK Al! (gasp) I-I'm glad to s-see you to! (gasp) L-let go of me, please?"

Al releases him and asks, "S-sorry about that! Uh, Sora, brother was hoping to come to, but he's got preparations to deal with. He wanted me to ask you...do you know who that hooded girl is?" Sora remembered his encounter with the strange teenage girl and answered, "The girl with the pistols? She's not someone I can recall having a past with, but she said she knew me...we were childhood friends, or so she says. I don't buy it Al, but she seems so sure that we've met."

Al thought for a while, then he said, "Well, it's just a suggestion Sora, but maybe you shouldn't listen to her." Goofy nodded, "Mr. Elric is right Sora, for all we know, that girl might be tryin' to confuse ya." Sora nodded, "You guys might be right. I don't remember her, so why should I believe a word she says?" Donald patted Sora on the back, "That's the spirit!"

Alphonse then noticed that by Sora's bed, there was a large bouquet of flowers. Al inspected the letter that was left with the flowers...

_**You can be such a Lazy Bum sometimes.**_

_**Seeing you bruised and barely breathing, I thought I was going to loose you. But when I dropped by, I saw your heart rate, and it was steadily recovering. I have never been happier to see you. I learned from one of the nurses that you would likely recover sometime during this week, so I went into town to buy some flowers. Sorry if these aren't your types, I would've bought you some roses, but I didn't know what roses looked like.**_

Al stopped for a minute and thought, _WHAT? ROSES ARE RED! HOW COULD SHE BE SO- ...to the point._

_**I want you to know this, I'm sorry for pulling a gun on you. I'm sorry for allot of things, even your memory loss. But this isn't a bad thing, you're actually better this way. I just want to tell you about the time we spent together. You were...the greatest friend a girl could ask for. If you want to know more about us, then meet me near the military entrance. I promise, I will explain everything.**_

_**Love forever, K**_

_**PS: Please don't tell anyone, they won't understand.**_

Al hid the letter inside his armor and thought to himself, _This was sent by her. And she's still trying to convince Sora that they knew each other. But after that night, I don't know if we can EVER trust her, or anything she says. ...she told Sora they were childhood friends in the past, so maybe she'll say different when I meet with her._

"What's up Al?" Sora asked. "**N-nothing, nothing at all! I just, uh, HEY LOOK, SOMEONE WANTED TO GIVE YOU THESE FLOWERS!**" Al gave Sora the flowers and ran to the door, "Oh, and don't forget to see my brother later, he's going to fight the colonel!"

As Al left, Sora looked at the flowers and thought, _These flowers...they remind me of Namine. It's been a long time since I've seen her._ "So who gave you those flowers?" Donald asked. Sora replied, "Well I thought it was one of you guys, but now...I have no clue who sent these-SAY WHAT? **ED'S GOING AGAINST THE COLONEL?**"

Outside, Al was approaching the entrance, where the hooded girl would be waiting for Sora. He looked around for the hooded girl, but to his surprise, she was nowhere to be found...

"WHAT'S THAT LITTLE BASTARD UP TO NOW?"

Sora ran past Al and headed for the military base while being followed by Donald and Goofy. Al questioned what just happened, but then he noticed someone near the gate...

There was a dark-red haired 15 year old girl in a cloak, who reached out to Sora as he ran by. But the Keybearer didn't see(or notice) her, instead, he just kept running, trying to find out what Ed was thinking before the fight would start.

The girl growled, "...jerk face." The girl then heard someone coming and turned around. She saw Al coming towards her, so she darted off before he could confront her! Al thought, _That's her! The hooded girl from before!_ Determined to get some answers, Alphonse went after her!

"LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, WELCOME TO THE EASTERN COMMAND CENTER FESTIVAL, A GUARANTEED BREAK FROM THAT SOLDIER GRIND!"

As Maes Hughes made the announcements, he surprisingly grabs a rope that was connected to a large sheet that covered something enormous. Hughes smiled and pulled the rope, "Incidentally, take a look!" But what Hughes revealed to the soldiers was a gigantic stone with a picture of...

"MY DAUGHTER WHO TURNED THREE THIS YEAR! ISN'T SHE ADORABLE?"

Annoyed and confused, the soldiers ranted and raged at Hughes's idiotic action by throwing mops, vacuum cleaners, toilet plungers, almost everything at the dopy dad, even Roger Rabbit, "P-p-p-p-lease HEEEEEEEEEELLLLLLLLLLP!" The random rabbit's face made contact with the banner, and made it fall down on Hughes, who cried, "D'OH NO, DON'T FALL ON DADDY, ELISIA NOOOOOO-!"

(SMASH)

While Hughes was recovering from his ridiculous moment, Sora was running through the command center while trying to look for Edward. As Sora looked for Ed, he said to himself, "Fighting the colonel, of all things, what the hell is his problem? I'm gone for a day, and he's picking fights with his superior-!"

Before Sora could finish, he bumped into Kain Fury. The two fell down and picked themselves back up. Fury looked at Sora and recognized him, "Oh, it's you, the guy from Y. O. U. T. H. Number 516, right?" Sora replied, "It's Sora. Wait, you knew my identification number?" Fury nodded, "That's right, I'm a soldier to, just like everyone here. I'm Master Sergeant, Kain Fuery." Sora smiled and said, "Cool name! But I need to go, there's a-...?"

Fury realized that Sora noticed the little puppy dog in his arms, "Oh, I guess nobody told you yet. This little guy-." Sora grabbed the little puppy and hugged him, "IT'S THE LITTLE PUPPY WHO HELPED ME FIND BALD IN THE TRAIN STATION!" The puppy recognized Sora's sent, so he started sniffing and licking him. Sora gently scratched the puppy's furry head and said, "What are you doing here boy?" Fury asked, "Uh... is he your dog?" Sora shook his head, "No, I wish he was, HE'S SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO CUUUUUUUUUUUUUUTE! But I don't think dad would allow that. Are you looking after this little guy?" Fury replied, "I am, but only until I find him an owner."

Sora then remembered the promise he made to the puppy and said to Kain, "Well, why don't I help you guys out?" Fury was surprised, "You'd do that?" Sora nodded, "Of coarse, I made a promise to this little dog, and I never forget a promise." Fury shook Sora's hand, "Th-thank you Sora, you're a lifesaver!" Sora chuckled to himself, "Tell me about it."

"Excuse me, do you two know where the fairgrounds are?"

Fury and Sora turned around and saw a woman with brown hair, whom Sora recognized, "Oh, you're the Fuhrer's secretary, right?" The secretary looked at Sora and said, "And you're the boy from the Orphanage. What's your point?" Sora replied, "It's just nice to meet new people, that's all. I'm Sora, Sora Hughes." The secretary then said, "So you're using your caretaker's name, that's...very interesting. I thought you were just pretending to have emotions like the rest of the Y. O. U. T. H. operatives, just as Brigadier General Grand said, but you're pleasant smile shows how interested you are in meeting me. I'm pleased to know you're heart is alive."

"Th-thanks." Sora said while blushing. The secretary shook Sora's hand and said, "Juliet Douglas, as you know, I assist the fuhrer with being his secretary. It's a pleasure to meet you, Sora." Sora smiled and replied, "I should be honored, you're someone who works close to the greatest of us all." The two laughed, until Fury interrupted, "So, when are we going to the Fair Grounds? The match is about to start." Sora snapped his fingers, "CRAP, I FORGOT TO TALK TO ED!"

Sora ran off, while being followed by Ms. Douglas and Fury.

Back in East City, Alphonse continued to pursue the hooded girl, who entered an abandoned butcher shop. Al stopped and recognized the shop, _This place, this was where Ed and I caught Barry the Chopper and saved Winry!_ Al continued inside and looked around the dark area. He couldn't see anything in the dark, so he looked for a light switch.

"Having some trouble seeing me? Good, now I have the upper hand."

Al turned around, but he couldn't see who was talking to him. So he said, "Your the one who put those flowers in Sora's room in the Hospital, aren't you?" The hooded girl answered, "So you read the letter before Sora had a chance to read it? DAMN IT, I knew I should've talked to him instead!" Al then said, "So you're 'K', you're the same hooded girl who shot my brother, aren't you?" The girl replied, "I am, I did, and I'm happy to have done so. You creeps deserve it for making Sora into your slave!" Al yelled out, "We didn't treat him like that!" The girl sneered, "You're a terrible liar. He lived in that damn orphanage and was raised to be a killer because of you and the military!"

Just then, Al was kicked down and thrown by his leg through a window!

Al stood up, trying to recover before the hooded girl could attack again, but then, a barrage of bullets came at the iron alchemist. As the bullets bounced off of his body, Al saw red eyes hidden inside the butcher shop.

"You can't shoot me to death, 'K'. I'm empty inside!"

"You can say that again." The hooded girl said as she came outside. Al then said, "My brother and I had no idea that an orphanage like Y. O. U. T. H. even existed! We weren't involved with Sora's past! Why do you think we're controlling Sora when HE'S the one who allows himself to be in danger? HE WAS POISONED ONCE BECAUSE HE DIDN'T WANT MY BROTHER TO DIE!" The hooded girl's eyes were shocked to hear what Al said, "He...allows himself to be in danger? He...still has free will?" Al was confused, "Y-yes, he does, why wouldn't he?"

The hooded girl shook her head and looked at Al, "...whether it's true or not, I still can't let you two have him. I'm taking him back, and I'll tear you AND the Fullmetal Alchemist apart to free him!" The hooded girl then grabbed her hood and pulled it (as well as the entire cloak) off, revealing her true appearance, as a 15 year old girl with a red dress, gold colored zip-lines, a black shirt underneath her red dress, black and red boots, and dark-red hair that covered her face.

"You're not like the others, so I'll have to bring out the big guns to kill you. And since you're going to become a bullet-riddled can of beats, I might as well introduce myself...the name's not K..." The girl looked up at Al and ran her fingers through her hair, revealing her face...and her red-to-blue eyes...

"**It's Kairi.**"

End of Chapter 52

* * *

**Next Chapter, Ed and the colonel begin their fight while Al squares off with the vicious gunner...Kairi!**

**Please Comment.**


	53. Chapter 53

**Last time, Sora awoke from a hellish nightmare and was greeted by Lust, the strange woman who tried to kill him in Lior. After introducing herself with the false name, 'Solaris', Lust mocked Sora for chasing after his Y. O. U. T. H. friends, saying that he was better off forgetting about them since they were soulless puppets and they wouldn't care if he lived or died. The woman's harsh words pushed Sora to the limit of despair, and Lust left him with some advice, to stay with Ed and not to go off after the assassins.**

**But misery left Sora's mind when his friends, Donald, Goofy, and Alphonse greeted him. As his friends celebrated his return, Al noticed some flowers left by 'K'. Al hid the letter with her name so Sora wouldn't find out who the stranger was...**

**Sora then asked what Ed was doing, Al replied that today, the Fullmetal was going to fight the Flame, Roy Mustang himself. Infuriated by Ed's sudden challenge, Sora rushed to see the battle.**

**Meanwhile, Al noticed someone watching Sora as he ran to the Eastern Military HQ, so Al trailed the stranger in hot pursuit. Al finally caught up with the stranger, who was actually the same person who shot Ed and fought Sora in the train station two days ago. It was the hooded girl who claimed to be Sora's childhood friend. Al asked who she was, and the hooded girl revealed herself as a red-haired girl named 'Kairi'...  
**

**Warning: Kingdom Hearts and Fullmetal Alchemist are both licensed by Square-Enix. The secondary licenses for both franchises are Disney (Kingdom Hearts), Aniplex, Bones Inc., and Funimation (Fullmetal Alchemist). **

**PS: There will be spoilers.**

* * *

Fullmetal Kingdom: The Fanfic

Chapter 53: It was a Snap

Sora finally arrived at the fairgrounds, where Edward was about to match his alchemic skills against his boss. Ms. Douglas headed for the fuhrer's side while Fuery walked to the side of his fellow soldiers, Breda and Havok. Fuery asked, "What did I miss?" Havok replied, "The Lieutenant Colonel got his head mashed in by a banner he made of his own 3 year old daughter." Fuery wined, "UGH, I ALWAYS MISS THOSE THINGS!"

As Sora went into the ring and looked for Ed, a bandaged Hughes grabbed his microphone and said, "AND NOW, WITHOUT FURTHER DISTRACTION, WE GO DIRECTLY TO THE DAY'S MAIN EVENT! IN THE RED CORNER, THE FLAME ALCHEMIST AND HERO OF THE EASTERN REBBELION, GIVE IT UP FOR COLONEL ROY MUSTANG!" When Sora heard the colonel's name, he turned around and saw Mustang enter the ring...while being yelled at by random soldiers.

"BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!"

"YOU JUST WANT A PROMOTION!"

"GIVE ME BACK MY GIRLFRIEND!"

Mustang wore a heavy frown on his face while thinking, _Jealous little bastards..._ As he walked, he saw Sora rushing towards him. Sora finally stopped in front of Mustang and as he was catching his breath, he asked, "Colonel sir! What's going on here?" Mustang smiled and said, "Glad to see your still alive and well Sora, but I've got a troll to torch." As his superior passed him, Sora asked Hawkeye, "Uh, First Lieutenant, why is Ed fighting the colonel?" Hawkeye replied, "Perhaps you should ask him yourself. And anyway, shouldn't you be in the hospital?" Sora couldn't answer, instead, he smiled awkwardly and walked away...

"AND IN THE BLUE CORNER, THE FULLMETAL ALCHEMIST AND LIVING LEGEND OF THE PEOPLE, LET'S HEAR IT FOR EDWARD ELRIC!"

Sora looked around the area, but he couldn't see Ed, not even a single blond cowlick of the Fullmetal.

"WHAT? WHERE, I DON'T SEE HIM!"

Ed then came into the ring, where the insults started piling up on him.

"WORKING GRADESCHOOL'S MORE LIKE IT!"

"GOOD LUCK, BEANSPROUT!"

Sora successfully grabbed Ed before he could lash out at the person who mocked him, "DON'T CALL ME SMALL! I'LL BREAK DOWN YOUR FEET 'N' STICK-EM ON YER HEAD!" Sora placed the angry alchemist down and asked, "I knew you were a short fuse, but I never imagined you'd blow so high, you'd take on the top gun." Ed looked at his bodyguard and said, "YOU! What're you doing here? Aren't you supposed to be out cold in the hospital?"

Sora crossed his arms and said, "Nice of you to remember, you could've come over and paid a visit like someone who cares but **NOOOOOOOO**! You have to fight with our boss! What's going on Ed? Why are you fighting Colonel Mustang?" Ed smiled grimly and said, "OK, you win. Today's the day I renew my State Alchemist Certification by beating up Mustang and GETTING SOME DAMN RESPECT!"

Sora stepped back in shock, "THAT'S IT? You want respect, and so you're planting a fist on the colonel's cheek?" Ed clenched his fist and yelled, "**NOT ON HIS CHEEK! A FIST IN HIS FACE!**" Sora waved his hands, "Calm down, 'slugger'. Just tell me why you want to beat up our boss?" Ed replied, "He's asked for it, THAT'S why! He says he knows all we do, acting like he let the secret out about me and Al's past, AND NOT TELLING ME WHAT I NEED TO KNOW?" Sora then asked, "So...what's your strategy?" Ed replied, "**I TOLD YOU, A FIST IN HIS FACE!**" Sora then asked, "Alright, but seriously, what DO you want to know from Mustang?"

Ed replied, "He has some info on Marcoh, I know it." Sora remembered who Ed was talking about, "Marcoh...WAIT! The doctor who cured the poison in Elisa from Xenotime? THAT Marcoh?" Ed nodded, "That's right. After Mustang sings like a bird, we'll be on our way to Marcoh's location." Sora shook his head, "Knowing the colonel, he's not the type to go easy." Ed smiled and replied, "I'm actually counting on that."

Sora patted Ed on the back and said, "Good luck, Ed." Ed then replied, "**FIST IN HIS FACE!**"

Ed and Mustang then walked to the center of the ring and awaited Hughes's signal to initiate the fight. Ed looked at Mustang and reminded him, "This assessment means nothing to me, got it? If I win, you tell me everything you know about Tim Marcoh! And let's not forget, you'll be having a new cat as well." The colonel didn't reply, instead, he smiled and waited...

Sora watched with eager eyes, wondering who would win the fight, _If this is a hand-to-hand fight, then Ed's gotta be the obvious winner, but the real mystery is the colonel. Mustang seems so calm, as if he's done this kind of thing before._

"OH MUSTANG, YOU'RE THE GREATEST!"

Sora then noticed a large number of soldier girls with picket signs and kissy faces all involved with Roy Mustang himself. Sora thought, _Geez, they must be a fan-club or something._

"GO GETT'M EDWAAAAAAAAAAAAAAARD!"

Then he noticed another group of girls on the other side of the ring, they were obviously doing the same thing as the other fans, but they were all looking at Edward Elric. Sora then said, "HEY, WHAT'S WITH YOU PEOPLE, HE'S FIFTEEN YEARS OLD, HE'S NOT OLD ENOUGH FOR YOU GIRLS YET!" Ed's fan club then looked at each other, then walked straight for Sora...

"Oh no."

Ed's fan club came right at Sora, but to his surprise, they passed him and went for the Mustang fans.

"We've realized what we were doing, could we join the other side?"

Sora shook his head in disbelief as the Ed fans became Mustang fans. Ed then yelled, "THANKS FOR GETTING RID OF MY FANS YOU JERK!" Sora replied, "...sorry."

Hughes then arrived in the middle of the ring and announced, "ALCHEMISTS GET SET! (ahem)..." Just then, Hughes bolted out of the area and yelled, "_**READY-NOW-FIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIGHT!**_" Ed was surprised, but before he could contemplate what happened-

"Too slow." (SNAP)

The instant he snapped, Ed saw a small amount of flame come out of Mustang's fingers...

(KA-BLOOM)

And just like that, a massive explosion came from the ground and blew Edward away!

Ed staggered to his feet and yelled, "Damn it, that was a cheap shot!"

(SNAP)

Ed then ran as fast as he could to avoid the flame attacks! "'A soldier favors hast over cleverness', meaning there are NO cheap shots, Edward. **Strike quickly and you end it quickly to!**" Mustang said. As Ed kept running, Sora wondered, "Those flames...Could it be the Ignition Cloth?"

...

Meanwhile, in the city, gunfire echoed through the city as Alphonse was running for his life while dodging the gunfire of a certain mystery girl named Kairi! Kairi yelled out, "**DIE** LIKE A MAN YOU LAZY BUM!" As Kairi reloaded her guns, Al stopped and pulled out his chalk to draw a Transmutation Circle.

(BLAM)

But the chalk was destroyed by a quickfire from Kairi's gun. Kairi smiled and said, "Drawing on the sidewalk's for kids. You and me, we're teenagers, so..." Kairi then runs towards Al, and then jumps at him, preparing to kick him down. But Al surprises her by grabbing her by the leg and throwing her into a recycling bin!

Al started to walk away, but suddenly, the top of the bin blew up into the air and landed on top him!

Kairi jumped out, reloaded her gun, and said, "**Heads, I win, Tin Man!**" Al then said, "This isn't the only way Kairi! You can still see Sora!" Kairi sneered, "You're a good liar, you know that? You make it sound like the truth, but we both know the REAL truth, don't we? We both know that he hates me, that you made him hate me! I've tried to reach out to him, and he called me a 'Lying Psycho'!"

Al then said, "That's because you helped a criminal and shot at us!" Kairi replied, "Well why not? You are the enemy, after all." Al pushed himself up and said, "THAT'S NOT THE POINT! You don't listen to reason, and you think of me and my brother as enemies without even getting to know us! And another thing, your temper is ridiculously unstable! Sora would've listened to you if you had just relaxed and told him the truth earlier, but NO, you !" Kairi answered, "STOP TALKING LIKE YOU KNOW HIM! I can't even come close to him with you two in the way! Sora isn't himself anymore, **AND IT'S THE MILITARY'S FAULT!**"

Kairi aimed her gun at Al and started shooting again! Al then noticed that the bulletshots were actually cracking his armor! Kairi smiled and said, "These bullets aren't the same as the normal ones. Those bounce off you, but mine do the job, wouldn't you agree?" Just then, a massive purple orb of light started to come out of one of Kairi's guns! Al then turned and ran, not wanting to know what the teenage terror was up to...

"Here comes..._**THE ATOMOS!**_"

Kairi then pulled the trigger and released the large ball of light at Al, who successfully dodged it!

"You should've let it hit you! Now you're in for a surprise!"

Kairi's eyes suddenly changed red, and at that instant, the orb stopped and started changing black and purple! Al was confused, but then he felt something pulling him...Al then noticed that the same thing is happening to everything around him, food carts, cars, trucks, almost everything surrounding him!

Kairi asked, "'What's going on' you ask? It's nothing special really, JUST THE GRAVITATIONAL PULL FROM ATOMOS! It will draw anything towards it, no matter how big (or heavy) you are, Atomos will pull you into it, where you will be torn to pieces and scattered all over town! I tried to tell you, **YOU SHOULD'VE LET IT HIT YOU!**"

Alphonse then felt his body being pulled towards Atomos, so he grabbed a part of the sidewalk to try and keep himself from being drawn into Atomos! It was then that he found a wet smudge of mud nearby, so he dipped his fingers in it. Kairi then said, "You're delaying NOTHING! Just the inevitable!" Ksiri then shot at Al's hands, forcing him to let go of the sidewalk! But Al wasn't the type to surrender, he grabbed the window sills nearby, and started to climb back towards the mud, "Y-you...are wrong...about Sora! He is not a tool, we didn't warp him..." Al then dipped his fingers back into the mud and quickly drew a Transmutation Circle!

"HE'S ALWAYS BEEN HIMSELF!"

Al then transmuted multiple explosives, all were lit and prepared to blow in any second! He then threw them under the Atomos, and as he did, the explosives blew up into a large ball of fire, blowing the Atomos orb into the sky, and watching it explode! Kairi grew furious and pointed her guns at him again, "All it takes is another, THEN you're finished!"

Al then said to her, "What about Sora? Do you think he'd want this?" Kairi staggered for a minute, and replied, "Quiet! He'll forget you after I tell him about our past!" Al yelled out, "STOP FOOLING YOURSELF! Why would Sora want one of his friends to die when he could have both?" Kairi stared at Al with a surprised look on her face, "'One...of his friends'?" Al nodded, "Yes, we're both his friends, and we both don't want to see him get hurt, OR controlled, by an enemy! That's why this fighting isn't going to solve anything!"

Kairi slowly lowered her weapon and said, "No...you're the controller. You're using him...YOU'RE LYING!" But the instant Kairi pointed her gun back at Al, he was already in front of her! Al placed his hand on her head and pats her gently, "Please don't hate me Kairi, I want to be your friend to." Kairi looked at Al, who noticed her eyes changing blue, and said, "...I...I...want to see him...but..." Kairi then pushed Al away and said, "I'll see him when I want to. I don't need your help. But...I enjoyed that fight, and your honesty. Maybe we can be friends someday."

Kairi started to walk away, but before she could, Al said, "Meet Sora tonight, please Kairi! Let him prove to you that you don't need to hide from the past, or him!" Kairi looked back and replied, "...We'll see. I can see how the people here respect and love you so much. Thank you, Edward Elric."

Kairi waved goodbye and ran off, while Al waved back, but stopped, in realizing what she just said!

"_**Sh-she thinks I'm my brother?**_"

End of Chapter 53

* * *

**Next Chapter, Ed's battle with Mustang presses on, but the REAL story is the one Mustang has to tell...**

**Please Comment.**


	54. Chapter 54

**Last time, Sora arrived at the Fair Grounds to witness the two State Alchemists who would be facing each other, Colonel Roy Mustang, the Flame Alchemist, against Edward Elric, the Fullmetal Alchemist. Maes Hughes then began the battle by running away, which surprised Ed until the Colonel snapped his fingers. And just like that, Ed was caught in a minefield of flame attacks...**

**Meanwhile in East City, Alphonse was attacked by Kairi, the girl who claims to be a childhood friend of Sora's, and the same person who attacked him and Ed earlier in the Eastern Train Station. Kairi's bullets started breaking Al's iron body, but the gunslinger had a more terrifying attack to unleash, the Atomos Bullet. **

**The bullet was shot into the street after Al avoided it, but to his shock, the Atomos was already unleashed! Al found himself at the mercy of the gravitational pull, but he used a nearby mud-puddle to draw a Transmutation Circle and create small explosives, which blew the Atomos into the air.**

**Then Alphonse turned to Kairi and convinced her to approach Sora as a friend instead of hiding and hating his other friends. Al then asked if Kairi could meet with Sora tonight, in which Kairi replied that she would think about it...**

**Warning: Kingdom Hearts and Fullmetal Alchemist are both licensed by Square-Enix. The secondary licenses for both franchises are Disney (Kingdom Hearts), Aniplex, Bones Inc., and Funimation (Fullmetal Alchemist). **

**PS: There will be spoilers.**

* * *

Fullmetal Kingdom: The Fanfic

Chapter 54: Fullmetal VS Flame

"Hey there Sora, is this the first time you've seen the colonel fight?"

Sora looked to his left side and saw Havok, "Oh, a Second Lieutenant. I think I saw you during the honorary party." Havok smiled and said, "I was also the one who helped you out of Lior. That place is a war zone now, you know. You can't just walk in there and say hello to a bullet." Sora replied, "S-sorry, I was-" Havok interrupted the Keyblade Master and said, "I know, I know, 'you were chasing after the Freezing Alchemist'. You don't have to be sorry though, you did what you could, and THAT is what makes a soldier. Y'know, it's funny, I know your name, but you don't know mine, do you? The names Havok, 2nd Lieutenant, Jean Havok."

Sora kindly shook Havok's hand and said, "Pleased to meet you sir. So Havok, how can the colonel use that kind of alchemy?" Havok replied, "Well the colonel's right glove is made out of a special material called-"

"Ignition Cloth, I know, I shook his hand once and recognized the sent."

Havok then said, "Well if you know what it is, then you can probably guess what it can do. When Mustang snaps his fingers, it makes a spark. After that, he uses alchemy to change the oxygen density in the air. And BOOM, bombs on command." Sora was fascinated by Havok's description, so he looked at the colonel's flame alchemy and said, "Now THAT'S an attack!"

Edward continued to run and dodge the flames that came from the ground! Then he jumped into the crowd and hid himself. Mustang slowly looked around, "Well I guess I can't torch you all. Hmmm..." Ed ran through the crowd, trying to conceal his appearance. But Mustang knew one way that could lure him out...

"THIS IS HARD, HE'S SUCH A SMALL TARGET!"

Ed's temper quickly snapped and he jumped out while yelling, "**WHO'RE YOU CALLING SMALL?**" And of coarse, Mustang was waiting with his glove hand prepped for another flame attack. Mustang then said, ""If your foe is of caloric temper, seek to irritate and never fall for an enemy's taunts."

(SNAP)

(KRA-KA-BOOM)

And with that, Ed was blown sky high, but the soldiers that surrounded him were also caught in the explosion! As the soldiers ran away, Mustang said to himself, "OK, maybe I over did it." As Mustang looked around the dusty fog for his opponent, he saw a small form in front of him. He then recognized the person in front of him as Edward and prepared for another snapping from his alchemic glove, "What, need more? What?"

But to Mustang's surprise, the thing in front of him wasn't Ed, but a alchemy-crafted doll wearing Ed's coat! Mustang's shock was only beginning, as he heard footsteps behind him, he turned around to try and counter the attack, but-

"CHEAP SHOT!"

Edward came out from behind and sliced though Mustang's glove with his automail blade! Ed looked at his superior and said, "Heh, without that glove, you can't make anymore flames, can you? That's game...SET..." Ed then transmuted a giant cannon that pointed right at Mustang!

"**MATCH!**"

But instead of being worried, Mustang looked surprisingly calm...

...and pulled out his left hand from his pocket, which had an extra alchemic glove!

"?"

Mustang then proceeded into snapping his fingers, thus blowing Ed's cannon into pieces, as well as blowing Ed up into the air!

The dust cleared, and Edward was coughing after breathing in the dust. Ed then heard someone coming close, and turned around to find Mustang standing before him. Mustang then gave Ed some advice, "'All war is deception. Think your enemy has a weakness, and it becomes his strength.' Remember that."

Ed angrily said, "...just end it!"

Mustang replied, "You don't have to ask."

As Mustang was preparing for the finishing blow, he saw a frail, frightened child with a gun...

_**?**_

The child was consumed in flames until Edward sliced through the flame, and pointed his blade at Mustang's throat!

Mustang just froze, terrified by what he saw...or did. The two were motionless, and at that moment, Fuhrer King Bradley stepped in, "Alright, that's far enough. An excellent display from two skilled alchemists." Mustang saluted and said, "We are honored by your complement fuhrer-" But Ed interrupted, "Don't stop us now, we're not done yet!"

Bradley nodded and replied, "Well, that may be true, but if I let you continue, it would be MUCH too hard for just the two of you to clean up." Sora overheard the conversation and asked, "Clean up what?" Hawkeye approached Sora and tapped his shoulder. When she got his attention, Hawkeye pointed to what used to be the battle area.

"Oh."

Minutes later, Alphonse arrived at the fairground, where Sora and Hawkeye were watching Ed and Mustang clean up the entire battleground. Al came to Sora and asked, "So how did the fight go?" Sora replied, "(sigh) It was a tie. The fuhrer stopped the fight because of all the damage they did." Hawkeye then said, "Now they don't have any choice but to work together and clean up the mess."

Sora then remembered the dog that Fuery was watching over and asked, "Hey, second lieutenant, you're an animal lover, right?" Hawkeye replied, "You saw the dog, didn't you?" Sora nodded, "Y-yes I did." Hawkeye then told Sora, "Just stop right there, you don't need to tell me about the 'homeless puppy in Kain's arms' routine. Just know that I can't have one. It is responsibility, as well as a distraction, that I can not be burdened for. "

Sora begged, "But second lieutenant, he's cute, he's loyal, and all he needs right now is a home, and someone nice to take care of him!" Hawkeye then said, "You think I'm nice? You think a highly trained soldier like me, who was trained to shoot between the eyes, without a second thought, is nice? Sora, I don't have time to act like a mother to an orphan, I have important responsibilities to attend to, namely looking after the colonel." Sora then said, "You were trained to kill...and so was I. If I can live a normal life with a family, then you should be able to live a normal life with a pet. ...j-just think about it, mam." Sora then saluted Hawkeye (who was starting to think about what he told her) and left for the exit.

The Keybearer was making his way out of the area when Mustang said, "SORA, DON'T FORGET, WHEN I'M FINISHED HERE, YOU HAVE TO TELL ME WHAT HAPPENED BETWEEN YOU AND ISAAC!" Sora nodded, "YES SIR!"

Mustang then sat down and said, "(yawn) THIS is the reason I tried to avoid the fight, Ed." Ed looked at Mustang and asked, "What happened? Why did you hesitate in the end? I don't need anyone to cover for me, not you, not the soldiers here, especially not your 'heroic assassin'! If you had time to beat me, then you should've done it!" Mustang's lazy stare changed into a serious face when he started talking, "...this goes back more years than I care to admit, but there was something called the Ishbal Rebellion."

Ed remembered what Mustang was talking about, "Part of the Eastern Rebellion, right? When the people of Ishbal clashed with the military." Mustang nodded and continued, "The corpses were piling up, so I was called along with the other State Alchemists to end the war. During my days in the war...I saw my share...of terrible things. I saw fear in their eyes, they wanted to survive, more then anything. Whether they were young or old, children or the elderly, teens or adults, they were too afraid to put the guns down. But Dr. Marcoh, the 'deserter', he was the smartest one among us. I still think so, even now."

Ed was surprised by what he heard, so he asked, "Is that why you kept quiet about it? Out of respect?" Mustang answered, "Well maybe I was wrong not to tell you. You should pay him a visit, so you'll know for yourself." Ed asked, "Y-YOU MEAN HE'S ALIVE?" Mustang nodded, signifying 'yes'.

Ed smiled, "Colonel, you still haven't told me why you hesitated. But...don't worry, you don't have to."

Back inside the Military HQ, Sora entered the main office, where he was greeted by Donald, Goofy, and the other soldiers. Donald asked, "So, what did you think of the fight?" Sora replied, "It was...explosive, passionate...I did like the part where the colonel surprised Ed with his lefty." Havok asked, "What about when Ed transmuted a cannon the size of a chateau?" Breda interrupted and said, "And when the colonel blew it up?" Falman then said, "THAT WAS THE BEST PART!"

As Sora sat down in a desk, Goofy then said, "Well, even though today was about Mr. Elric's battle with Mr. Mustang, we should also be happy that Sora has made a quick recovery." Sora smiled and said, "Thanks Goofy, but you shouldn't make a big deal out of it. People in the army get into dangerous accidents all the time." Breda then sat in the desk in front of Sora and said, "Yeah, but if it wasn't for us, you probably wouldn't have made it in time."

Knowing that, Sora asked, "Us? You mean you were with Havok?" Donald yelled, "SO WERE ME AND GOOFY!" Breda explained, "That's right, the Genomes and I were with Havok when we came to Lior to find you. Let me tell you something, you were bleeding pretty bad, but it was a cinch for me to take care of. The names Heymans Breda, 2nd Lieutenant, the same as Havok." Sora proudly shook his hand, "Thanks Second Liutenant, I'm Sora."

"You know, you could call us by our names, not just our ranks." Falman said. Sora shook his head, "I-I don't know about that. It sounds disrespectful-" Falman interrupted, "Not at all, you're a soldier to. That gives you as much right to call me Vato Falman as Fuery does." Fuery then said to Sora, "The warrant officer's right Sora, you don't have to worry about what to call us."

Sora nodded and said, "Well, alright, I'll try. By the way...Fuery, did you find anybody to take care of the dog?" As Sora slightly petted the puppy on the head, Fuery replied, " No, nobody wants a dog. And the people that do aren't my kind of people." Sora felt disappointed (and so did the dog) and said, "That's too bad, I wish I could look after you little guy."

Just then, Hawkeye came into the office. She came right to Sora and Fuery and said, "Sora, you're parents have enough people living in your home, including the boy you met in Lior. And Fuery, as you once said, you live in one of the city's dorms, which has a 'no animals' policy. Falman lives in the dorms as well, Breda's scared of dogs, Havok eats canines (Havok: "HEY, I WAS JOKING!"), Ed and Al have no interest in puppies, Goofy's here so Donald doesn't need one (Donald: "Hey come on!"), and Mustang worships them as gods, which really creeps me out."

"So since you have no other candidates..."

(sigh)

"...I guess I can handle him."

Sora and Fuery's eyes lit up with happiness, "_**REALLY? THAT'S AWESOME!**_"

The puppy jumped out of Fuery's arms and ram to a wall...and peed on it.

"Not exactly potty-trained, is he?" Sora asked, Fuery smiled and replied, "S-sorry, guess he's just relieved to have an owner (giggle).". Sora shook his head and said, "He's relieving all right."

(chuck-chick)

To the two boy's surprise, a gun came between them and pointed at the puppy!

(BLAM, BLAM, BLAM, BLAM, BLAM, BLAM)

The entire room was silent...and the puppy was standing on his two furry feet while raising his paws up, and it's eyes were filled with tears as he made a teary surrender!

"Now you won't be doing THAT again, will you **pup**?" Everyone looked at the first lieutenant with fearful eyes, and backed away slowly as Hawkeye started to sound as deadly as her gun, "**See you've got a STRICT mommy now! The bathroom's outside, got it Black Hayate?**" Fuery cried and asked, "W-W-WHAT'S WRONG WITH YOU PEOPLE?"

Sora shook off his fears and asked, "Uh...so, First Lieutenant, what made you change your mind about the puppy?" Hawkeye replied, "A trained assassin lives with a family, so why can't a trained soldier have a pet? We aren't monsters Sora. Deep down, we're just orphans trying to find a home...and by the way, call me Hawkeye, like you used to." Hawkeye winked at Sora, and took the puppy in her arms to let him out.

Sora blushed, then smiled, now knowing that he was no longer the only outcast in the world...

"W-WAIT-A-MINUTE! **'THE BOY I FOUND IN LIOR'?** THAT'S VIVI!"

Back in Central City, in Traverse Town at the Hughes's house, Elisia was playing with her toys while Vivi was helping Gracia with dinner, Vivi then asked, "Are you sure it's OK for me to stay here Ms. Hughes?" Gracia replied, "Well, Sora's room is actually a two-person room, so since you can't afford a place for yourself, we'll let you stay for as long as you want. Ohhh, I'm sure you'll be a wonderful little brother to Sora."

Vivi shyly said, "B-brother, me? B-but I-I-I don't-" Gracia then said, "Don't worry, I know you won't be staying forever. I just didn't want you to be by yourself. Hughes has already told me about your reasons for following Sora, you're looking for a friend, right?" Vivi nodded, "Y-yes mam, I am." Gracia then gave him a bowl of soup and said, "Then know that while you're searching for your friend, you'll always have a place here. Here's some Chicken Soup, little guy, it's not much, I know, but it's delicious." Vivi took it to the table and said, "Thank you Ms. Hughes."

End of Chapter 54

* * *

**Next Chapter, Mustang meets with Hughes, who reports on a vicious criminal...**

**Please Comment.**


	55. Chapter 55

**Last time, Edward Elric, the Fullmetal Alchemist, squared off with Colonel Roy Mustang, the Flame Alchemist, in a Assessment Dual to re-instate his certification as a State Alchemist. But also, to get information about Dr. Tim Marcoh. However, Ed's side of the battle was strained due to the colonel's gloves. So Ed took out one of them to try and pull off one final attack. But the colonel shocked Ed by pulling out another glove and defeating the small alchemist.**

**But before the battle could continue, Fuhrer Bradley stopped them, and explained that if the fight continued, the fairgrounds would be destroyed completely, and it would've been harder for them to clean up the mess.**

**As Mustang and Ed cleaned the fairgrounds, Mustang finally confessed that Marcoh was among the soldiers who survived the war against the Ishbal Rebellion. And that he might still be alive. Ed was finally getting closer to finding the Philosopher Stone.**

**but as Ed breathed a sigh of satisfaction, Sora and Fuery sighed in despair, as they could not find anyone who would adopt the little puppy they cared for. However, hope came in the form of First Lieutenant Riza Hawkeye, who decided that she would care for the puppy. And so, she took the puppy in and named him Black Hayate, a name that confused everyone. The mood turned sour when Sora heard that Vivi, the boy he met in Lior, was sent off somewhere on his own...**

**Warning: Kingdom Hearts and Fullmetal Alchemist are both licensed by Square-Enix. The secondary licenses for both franchises are Disney (Kingdom Hearts), Aniplex, Bones Inc., and Funimation (Fullmetal Alchemist). **

**PS: There will be spoilers.**

* * *

Fullmetal Kingdom: The Fanfic

Chapter 55: The Alchemist Killer

Sora stormed out of the office and walked hastily towards the fairground, where Mustang was still cleaning up the mess caused by his battle with Ed. He was followed by Donald and Goofy, who asked, "S-Sora, what's wrong? Are you alright?" Sora replied, "Mustang made a reckless decision! Vivi's too young to go off on his own! The colonel may have lost the kid somewhere!" Donald explained, "Vivi wasn't eligible to live on his own in East city, that's why Hughes suggested him living at his place until you needed him!"

Goofy grabbed Sora by the wrist and said, "Donald's telling the truth Sora! Hughes cared for the boy as much as you did, so he took him to a train station and moved him into his place! He'll be alright now, please believe us!" Donald then came in front of Sora and said, "He can't take care of himself Sora, he's not Tidus, HE'S NOT YOU!" Sora stopped walking and asked, "Vivi...is he really alright?" Donald replied, "You should know the answer better than anyone. He's safe at home, YOUR home. From what I've heard, the Hughes Family are nice people, especially Maes, he's a...very happy person, despite his crazy personality. So you have nothing to fear, got it?" Sora sighed, and nodded with a small smile, "You're right."

"Hey son!"

Sora, Donald, and Goofy turned around and saw Hughes waving at them. Hughes came to Sora and said, "Mustang's going to be held up for a bit, so I'll be taking his place." Sora asked, "For what dad?" Hughes replied, "For talking with you about you're activities in Lior."

Minutes later, Hughes and Sora were inside the colonel's office. Hughes then looked at Sora and asked, "Sora, you've already done allot for us, and I couldn't be any prouder than I am right now, but you failed to arrest Isaac, and that brings up some questions. Can you answer a few?" Sora replied, "I'll answer your questions sir, but before we do, there's something I need to talk to you about..."

…

"Well well, my boy's fallen for an Ishbalin gal."

Sora explained, "I-I didn't mean that! I just...care for her...very much." Hughes then asked, "That still counts as love (Sora: "_**QUIT IT!**_"), so why else would you want to talk about her? _DID THE WIDDOW TEENAGER WANT TO TEW HIS OLD MAN 'BOUT HIS NEW SHNUKUMS?_ (laughs)" Irritated, Sora yelled, "_**YOU SHADDAP NOW!**_"

Sora answered, "I've heard about the colonel's involvement in the Ishbal Rebellion. He might...take it the wrong way. She's a nice girl named Rose, she once followed Cornello, but only because he made her believe he could resurrect the dead. It was even more disgusting when I learned that he was lying to her the whole time. After the truth was exposed, she lost all hope, she even told me to never come back. But I did come back, and she..."

Hughes noticed tears coming out of his eyes, "Sora, you're crying. What's wrong?" Sora's fist tightened as he spoke, "...she welcomed me back and forgave me! After all that, she still held me and thought of me as her friend! I hated myself for taking her hope, and she forgave me! HOW CAN SOMEONE STILL CARE ABOUT ME FOR WHAT I DID?"

"Calm down Sora, it's alright!" Hughes said as Sora covered his face. Hughes patted Sora on the shoulder and said, "Listen to me, you care for her, so I can understand if you don't want Mustang to know. So I won't tell Mustang about Rose, alright?" Sora nodded, "Alright, but, there's something else..." Hughes asked, "What is it?" Sora replied, "It's Riku, he's not himself anymore. He's kidnapped Rose and Vivi's friend, Eiko. And to make things worse, he's told me to come meet him in Destiny Islands, where he's holding them hostage until I get there! I know that area is blocked off for repairs, but he's got them dad, and if I don't find him, I'll never-"

Before Sora could continue, Hughes patted Sora on the head and said, "Give it time kiddo, you'll find them. Believe me, you'll find them..."

Later that night, Mustang was waiting in a bar. Just then, Hughes came inside and waved, "ROY, HOW GOES?" Annoyed, Mustang waved, "Over here Maes." Hughes had a seat next to him and said, "Well, Sora told me everything. Especially about how Isaac made his escape after meeting with the fake prophet we all 'know and love'." Mustang covered his face and shook his head. He then asked, "Anything else?"

Hughes answered, "Yeah...about Lior, that dessert town, Are you aware that General Hakuro's detachment has been dispatched over there? Sora told me that it was turning into an ugly civil war. Ed said their prophet, Cornello, was removed after being revealed as a sham, and the people would open their eyes, but a priest is still there, and going strong, and now he's calling his followers up for this uprising. From what Sora described, I can't say for sure if it's the same guy that he and Ed fought. You think you should send Ed back in there to investigate?" Mustang drank the beer from his glass and replied, "...Ed believes he saved that town, it's one of the first successes he's had. I'll let him keep thinking about it for a while. He'll learn the truth soon enough, we always do."

"So, isn't it about time you told me?" Mustang asked. Hughes was confused, "Excuse me?" Mustang explained, "I'd still like to know why you and the other soldiers and State Alchemists came from Central to East City. You and I both know that the honorary party for Xehanort wasn't the only reason you came." Hughes smiled and said, "Truth be told, Xehanort was actually going to be honored at Central. But what makes you think-?" Mustang answered, "I know you didn't come here just to observe us Hughes. Why the sudden move?"

Hughes explained, "...the big wigs. They kept wearing the fuhrer down until he agreed to move us. It's the Alchemist Killer Roy, there have already been five soldiers slain in Central."

"Him again? ...who...what is he?" Mustang wondered, but Hughes had an answer, "The name was hard to find out, no one could get close enough to find out anything about him. But one thing they all knew was the scar on his forehead, thus they named him...**The Scarred Man.**" Mustang asked, "Is that their idea of a codename?" Hughes replies, "Well, it's all we've got." Mustang asked, "You're saying that a 'rumor' killed them all? Five well-trained State Alchemists all by himself?"

"...actually, he killed nine."

"NINE?" Mustang was shocked when he heard the news. Hughes explained, "There were five kills in Central, four of them were alchemists. Cops have turned up five more State Alchemists in different parts of the country. If you throw in aides and guards in the way, it's into the dozens. We know it's him because the murders were all identical, and it's not the kind of thing you could copycat, **he explodes their brains Roy.** We don't know why he's doing this, and everyone's panicked, thinking they'll be next."

"So all of Central Command made the excuse that they were with the fuhrer, and they all came here in mass while thinking that not even a killer would come to this backwater place." Hughes nodded, "Your here after all. Those up the chain that gave you this demotion transfer three years ago, they're aware of your abilities, your protection for them." Mustang smiled and said, "Hell Maes, now even you're getting me all shaken up."

Hughes then asked, "So that's the big question...who'll be the next target?"

"_**ACHOO!**_" As Ed sneezed, Al asked, "What's wrong, brother?" Ed shrugged, "Dunno, guess I'm getting a cold or something."

During that night, Ed and Al were in front of a house, where the kitten Al was looking after was sitting in a small box. "After all the info Mustang gave us about Marcoh, we can't ask him to look after this little guy to. Equivalent Exchange, we'd end up owing too much." Ed said to Al, who sadly replied, "...yeah, I know."

Ed then clapped his hands and transmuted the small box into a baby carriage, so the kitten would be comfortable. Ed looked back at Al and said, "I'm sorry Al, but this is the best we can do." Al rang the bell on the house, and walked away, leaving the little kitten to be cared for by someone else.

While Ed and Al headed back to the hotel...

"(CHOMP) Mmm, MMM, hey dude, you gotta try this!"

Sora was visiting Tidus in his room while he was eating a large Pizza. Sora passed on Tidus's suggestion. Noticing Sora's gloomy expression, Tidus said to him, "Aw crap, do you hate the ham THAT much?" Sora replied, "It's not that...Tidus, I met someone who-" Tidus's eyes lit up with excitement as he realized, "YOU MET A GIRL? AWESOME! Who is she bro? Come on, tell me!" Sora shook his head, "No, no, she's not my type. In fact, she's...she's someone I'd rather not see again."

Tidus took another bite of his pizza and guessed, "Oh, I get it, a rich girl. Yeah, they can be spoiled as Hell. They tell you stuff you don't want to hear, like 'you're garbage, you'll never win!' Or 'no matter how hard you try, you'll never get what you want!' I hate those types of people, they think they know us from the inside and out, but they don't! I mean, you know you for **you**, and I know me for **me**. So what makes these people judge us? It's our appearance, we're teenagers, so the adults can judge us as ignorant little kids all they want, but Sora, you can't let what they say get to you. If you believe you can accomplish a goal, and if you think highly about what you're doing, then do it, and laugh once in a while!"

**I hate nosy little brats like you.**

**Y. O. U. T. H. operatives don't know OR HAVE any friends.**

**Some of them killed many people, and none of them broke down in tears.**

**Stop pretending you care.**

**You are empty, and so are they.**

**You are alone.**

**You are alone.**

**You are alone.**

"Laugh huh? ...sometimes I wish that was the best way to solve a problem. But sometimes, it's just not enough." Sora's response surprised Tidus, who asked, "What kind of rich kid made you so..." Sora answered, "...Solaris. She told me how we have no friends, no emotions...I'm starting to wonder, is she right?" Tidus put his piece of pizza down and thought for a while...

"Hey, that reminds me, Russel wanted me to give you something!"

Tidus ran to one of his briefcases and pulled out a package, a paper-wrapped package that he gave to Sora, "Those brothers were very grateful to you, so as a last gesture of being their bodyguard, they told me to give you this." Sora examined the package before opening it. Inside was a small golden Thalassa Shell. Sora remembered his Lucky Charm, which was made out of Thalassa Shells.

Tidus explained, "I told them about your old 'good-luck' charm that you gave to Riku, and they figured that if you ever needed to make a new charm, you could ad this to it. You know, so you don't forget about them." Sora smiled and said, "Tidus...you really are the best." Tidus gave a thumbs up to Sora and replied, "You got THAT right!"

After a few more hours, it was 10 PM, and Sora was ready to go back to his hotel room. Tidus opened the door for him and said, "See you tomorrow, bro!" Sora waved, "Thanks again Tidus!" Sora came out of the room and headed straight to his room when he bumped into the Elrics, who have just returned. Ed yawned, "(yawn) Hey Sora, what's going on?" Sora replied, "Nothing much, just had dinner over at Tidus's place." Ed patted Sora on the shoulder and said, "That's nice, well, good night."

"Wait a minute Ed!"

Ed stopped and turned around, "What is it Sora, I have to sleep!" Sora asked, "...I'm not empty, am I?" Ed was surprised when he heard Sora's question, so he asked, "W-what're you talking about?" Sora shook his head and said, "...never mind." Al then asked, "Are you OK Sora?" Sora replied, "Yeah, I'm fine, I just thought...you know how some of my friends from the orphanage were killers?" Ed and Al looked at each other and nodded, so Sora continued, "A woman at the hospital compared me to them, and I'm starting to wonder if she's right."

Ed asked, "Well that's the dumbest thing I've ever heard. You've been an idiot before, but THIS makes you look crazy. You're scared that your inner assassin's going to come out and make sushi out of us?" Sora replied, "Overtime, it seems that the assassins change in personality, AND in appearance. They start looking more vicious, and they don't care who they kill, as long as they get the head mounted on a wall, they're...well I can't say they're happy since they're emotionally dead inside-**THE POINT IS**, is there a chance I might end up like them?"

Ed gave Sora a disturbed look and said, "That depends...do you want to kill me and Al?" Sora replied, "**WHAT?** NO, of coarse not!" Ed pats Sora on the shoulder and said, "It's because we're friends, Sora. If you had something against me, you would've shaved my head and turned Al inside out, but you didn't. You've been a good friend, even though you're a little crazy, but...you risked your life for us, and THAT'S proof enough that you're not crazy, you're just an idiot with a big heart."

Sora smiled and said, "Well, aside from the comic relief you've been spewing out, I'm happy you're my friend to." Ed smiled and said, "Hey, if you were empty, you probably wouldn't have asked me. We'll find your friends, Sora. AND we'll find the Philosopher Stone! But if we're going to accomplish our goals, you'll have to get some sleep, tomorrow, we look for Marcoh!" Sora nods and heads to his hotel room.

Ed then said to himself, "He's going to have another problem soon, I know it." Al then said, "You still helped him out brother, that was pretty cool" As Al enters the shared room, Ed closes the door, and replied, "Yeah, I just wish I knew why he asked a weird question like that. I mean, 'empty'? Why would that idiot think he was hollow?"

Minutes passed by, and the Keybearer just finished taking a shower. As he came out of the bathroom in his PJs while rubbing his head of hair with a towel, he heard someone...

"I'm glad you took that shower. It would've been a hassle for me to talk to you if you smelled like dirt."

Sora dropped the towel off his head and pointed his Avenger at the one who spoke to him! It was none other than the hooded girl from the train station, the same girl who shot at him while claiming that they were once friends. "YOU!" Sora said as he prepared to attack. But the hooded girl raised her hand at him and said, "STOP! I'm not here to fight!" The hooded girl took out her guns and raised her hands.

The hooded girl then took off her cloak, revealing her red hair, blue eyes, and red dress. She then said, "I just want to talk, alright? I want to tell you about me, and I want to apologize for the last time we met. Just please...let me explain."

End of Chapter 55

* * *

**Next Chapter, Sora gets a chance to know Kairi, the girl who claimed to be an old friend...**

**Please Comment.**


	56. Chapter 56

**Last time, Sora reported his actions in Lior to his adopted father, Maes Hughes, who found out about Sora's feelings for an Ishbalin girl. Sora asked Hughes to not tell Mustang about it, due to the colonel's history with them in Ishbal...**

**That night, Hughes met with Mustang at a bar to report Sora's findings. He told Mustang about Lior's current condition, about how it became a battlefield for a civil war. And even how Father Cornello was seemingly back. Despite the troubling news, Mustang suggested that they keep the news secret from Ed, seeing as how the Fullmetal believed that he saved the town. Then Mustang asked why Hughes and the other State Alchemists were really here, Hughes answered that they were in East City to avoid a dangerous killer called the Scarred Man, who goes after alchemists that work for the military...**

**Meanwhile, Sora was feeling uncertain about whether or not he and the Y. O. U. T. H. assassins were really capable of acting normal, and having souls of their own. But Tidus and Edward assured him that despite what people tell him, they could never truly understand him or his friends. Tidus proved that some Y. O. U. T. H. orphans can still be capable of having souls after giving Sora a gift from the Tringum Brothers, and Ed explained that if Sora was truly empty and emotionless, he wouldn't have approached them with his problems and he would've killed them instantly if they bugged him.**

**After listening to his friends, Sora felt better about himself and went to his hotel room. However, he was surprised to find the same gunslinger girl that shot Ed and held him hostage, inside of his room, asking for him to listen to her...**

**Warning: Kingdom Hearts and Fullmetal Alchemist are both licensed by Square-Enix. The secondary licenses for both franchises are Disney (Kingdom Hearts), Aniplex, Bones Inc., and Funimation (Fullmetal Alchemist). **

**PS: There will be spoilers.**

* * *

Fullmetal Kingdom: The Fanfic

Chapter 56: Her Beloved Friend

"Forget it lady, I'm not falling for your lies!" Sora said while keeping his distance. Kairi jumped off the bed and said, "LIES? I'm telling the truth! In fact, the Fullmetal himself, wanted us to talk tonight so we could straighten out what happened!" Sora was startled by what Kairi said, "E-Ed's why you're here?" Kairi nodded, "That's right! So here I am, ready and willing to see you again!"

Kairi walked towards Sora, who backed up against a wall, and she said, "I know you don't remember me, alright! Just try and listen to me, I'm not going to hurt you, OR the Elrics, I promise! This'll just be a short visit."

(Ed's eyes pop open when he wakes up) "_**SHORT?**_"

Kairi came close enough to Sora to see him sweat in nervousness. But he stopped showing fear and relaxed, so he looked at Kairi and said, "...you just want to talk?" Kairi noticed how close she was to him, so she backed away from Sora and blushed, then nodded. So Sora said, "Alright, we'll talk, but if you try anything-" Kairi smiled and took Sora's hand, "YES! Thank you! This will only take a few minutes!"

Kairi pulled Sora over to his bed and the two of them sat next to each other. Kairi asked, "Are you alright? You've turned red." Kairi touched Sora's forehead and said, "Hmm, nothing seems to be wrong, but do you feel any different?" Sora replied, "...well, I was feeling a bit strange after I woke up in the hospital." Kairi stood up and said, "Then I'll make you some soup." Sora stopped her, "Whoa now, lady, I still don't trust you, so I'll go make the soup!"

Before Sora could get up, Kairi grabbed his wrist and said, "Please, I want to do it. Let me make the soup." Sora demanded, "L-let me go!" Kairi released him and watched as he went into the kitchen. He opened the cupboards and found some chicken soup. He stopped for a bit and looked back at Kairi, who looked heartbroken...

"Uh, mam, would you like some?" Sora asked as he opened the can. Kairi looked back at him and replied, "N-no thank you." Sora turned back to the counter, where he was filling a pot with the soup. He still felt bad for what he did, so he said, "I-I'm sorry for yelling at you! You probably had better days, right?" Kairi replied, "...this day still counts as a good day. You're out of the hospital and I couldn't be any happier to see you."

Sora then asked, "...you really care about me, huh?" Kairi nodded, "More than anything." Sora finished cooking the soup and filled a bowl with it. He then decided to make some tea, so while he was working he asked, "So, what's your name?" Kairi answered, "It's Kairi...nice to meet you...again." Sora found the bag of tea and starting making the drink, then he said, "Kairi, huh? It's a nice name. ...anyway, I'd like us to be friends, don't get me wrong, but I still want answers about your involvement with Isaac. Why did you help him escape?"

"..."

Kairi was quiet for a couple of minutes, but she answered, "...A favor isn't always easy to return. Let's just leave it at that, OK?" Sora nodded and brought over the soup and the tea. Kairi then noticed Sora giving her the tea, "What's this?" Sora replied, "It's tea, I know you didn't want anything, but a Potion wouldn't have made you comfortable. Tea is a nice drink to have during pleasant conversations, including this one."

As the Keyblade Master was enjoying his chicken soup, Kairi looked at the tea and took a sip...

"...? It's delicious! What is this?"

Sora answered, "Smooth Sweet Tea. In the Y. O. U. T. H. Orphanage, we were given one recipe each to use in case we need to appeal to a crowd of high standards. Basically, it's a party trick." Kairi drank more of the tea and said, "You've learned allot from Y. O. U. T. H., huh?" Sora replied, "Yeah, it's a regular boot camp for us."

Kairi noticed Sora's miserable expression and asked, "Was it hard living there?" Sora answered, "No, it's just..." Kairi grasped Sora's hand, looked at him in the eyes and asked, "Just what? Is there something wrong?" Sora started to blush, but he shook that feeling away and answered, "There was an attack on the Y. O. U. T. H. Orphanage, and I haven't heard from my brothers and sisters since. I rescued one of them, but he told me the others were found by the military. I asked my superior if he knew what happened to them, but-"

"Let me guess, he knew nothing. Tch, typical."

Sora nodded and finished his explanation, "But he knew someone who might, the Brigadier General, Basc Grand." Kairi began to take interest in what Sora said, "The Iron Blood? He's the guy you're suspecting?" Sora replied, "Yep, he's the one. I have to find him again and get my answers, but I haven't seen him since the honorary party."

Kairi finished her tea and said, "Sounds like you've got some serious work to do." Sora finished the rest of his soup and replied, "It's not that hard, really. As long as Ed and Al are with me, I have a good chance of seeing them again." Kairi then asked, "You really trust those two? It's not a good idea, trust me. I've heard allot about those two, like how they used forbidden alchemy to resurrect the dead, and how they joined the military to find some rock with alchemic properties, I even heard about their involvement with Shou Tucker and his experiments."

"...Shou Tucker?"

Sora was a bit startled by Kairi's news, "I've never heard of anybody named Tucker before." Kairi explained, "...well if you haven't, then that means they didn't want you to know. Shou Tucker was a State Alchemist once, Sowing Life for a nickname, and a daughter for a family. His wife disappeared a while ago, and nobody knew where she was. Then the Elric Brothers came to his house to study for the Alchemy Exam, of coarse, the elder brother passed. Yeah, they were so happy...little did everybody know what they were planning."

Sora asked, "Planning? What are you talking about?" Kairi continued, "...you know how the alchemist has to perform a unique form of alchemy to pass? Well Tucker passed his test...with a talking chimera." Sora was amazed, "A-A talking chimera? AWESOME! I ran into a few chimeras on the job, but non of them could talk-" Kairi stopped him and said, "That chimera...was his wife."

"...what?" Sora's amazed look turned into a fearful one as Kairi nodded, "Yep, he turned his housewife into a house-pet. And after Ed's initiation as a State Alchemist, Tucker was ordered to pass HIS test. And to pass it, he needed help, he needed another chimera, he needed the Elric Brothers. So together, they helped Tucker create another talking chimera...from his dog...and his daughter!"

Sora stood up and yelled, "**THAT'S A LIE! You don't know the Elrics like I do!**" Kairi was shocked by Sora's loyalty to his friends, so she said, "Oh dear, you've been such a nice person, and you've always believed in your friends, it's so touching! And believe me, I was surprised when Edward told me to see you, I thought he was a completely different person."

Kairi moved closer to Sora and said, "I'm not doubting you, and I'm not doubting your friends. They probably changed after their partnership with Tucker. But if you're starting to wonder what kind of people they are, try asking them who **Nina** is." Sora felt a bit nervous when Kairi got closer, but he was paying attention to every words she told him, "N-Nina?" Kairi explained, "She's one of many reasons behind Edward's actions. He's your friend, so he doesn't have to hide it from you. Just like...I wouldn't hide from you."

Kairi finished talking and kissed Sora on the cheek.

"I want to tell you everything, but this was only step one of our reunion. Next time, we won't need to hide anymore." Kairi lets go of Sora's hand, stood up from the bed, and headed for the window. But Sora stopped her and asked, "Look, you obviously hate the Elric Brothers, but you should know, they aren't enemies, they have goals similar to yours. They want to regain what they lost to." Kairi asked, "Pff, right, whatever you say-"

Sora grabbed her wrist and continued, "I mean it, they're good people. Please Kairi, if you decide to see me again, let the Elrics see you to." Kairi looked away and replied, "...maybe. Goodnight Sora." Sora released her and said, "Goodnight Kairi." The two of them smiled at each other, but both were unsure of what the future would hold for them. So Kairi waved and jumped out of the window...

"...WAIT A MINUTE, I'M ON THE 5TH FLOOR! **KAIRI, WAIT!**" Sora rushed to the window, but to his amazement, he saw no one on the ground...or anywhere else. Sora scratched his head in confusion, "Where did she go?" Sora shook off his confusion and closed the window, knowing that the mystery girl will return someday.

Suddenly, Sora felt someone grab him by the shoulder...

"_**WHO'S THE GUY YER CALL'N 'HOBBIT FOR HIRE FROM HOBBITON' OF A SHORTY?**_"

As Sora was getting randomly pummeled by a confused Ed, Kairi hid herself in the alleys, she looked on and said to herself, "...goodnight, Sora. I promise, we'll make it work this time."

Unbeknown to Kairi, a certain Golem King was watching her while she was with Sora, and was now wondering, "And just like that, she's gone? That's too quick of a death sentence for that amusingly nimble minx." Crimson looked around for the new girl, "Where are you, little minx? Where are you..." Just then, he noticed a hooded person running through the alley. "She's hidden herself well, this little minx! But she's not going to take the Keyblade Master from me! OH NO! In fact, she'll be taking something else..."

Inside the Hotel, Sora was still being chased by an angry Fullmetal, then Alphonse came in and asked, "What's going on, brother?" Ed replied every time he passed his younger brother, "_**STUPID...BUSH-**__**HEAD...SAID...SHORT...I...WILL KILL...THAT BAS...TARD!**_" Al caught Ed and tried to calm him down, then Sora said, "Guys, you are NOT going to believe who was here!" Al asked, "Wait, you met someone here?" Sora nodded, "It was-"

(KRA-KOOOM)

The massive noise made the Hotel quake, then Donald and Goofy (in their ridiculous Pjs) came into the room. Donald then said to to Sora and the Elrics, "Guys, we got to go! A GOLEM'S ATTACKING A GIRL!" Sora and Al thought, _Could it be Kairi?_ Sora and Al then grabbed Ed and said, "_COME ON, WE'VE GOTTA HURRY!_" Then the trio and the Genomes hurried to the exit...

Minutes ago, Kairi made her way out of the dark alley and into a parking area. She then reaches into her purse and picked out some change, "Hmm, this should be enough. I'll just need a phone..." Kairi then noticed a phone machine nearby and walked straight to it. She placed the coins in the slot and dialed in the numbers when suddenly-

"Are you lost, little minx?"

Kairi jumped backwards and pulled out her guns, "WHO'S THERE?" The voice replied, "I'm not there...**I'm here.**" Just then, the gunner felt a hand on her shoulder and turned around swiftly! But there was still no one there!

"What's the matter, little minx? Can't you see me?"

Kairi answered, "I'll see you eventually. A coward like you would always depend on the shadows to elude gunfire, but you'll slip up, they always slip up..." Just then, she felt someone feel her hair, "Such a beautiful color. A dark shade of red...like the blood of Sora-" Kairi grabbed the arm and hurled him over her head, "**GO TO HELL YOU MONSTER!**" As she did, she saw the giant she hurled, he twisted the arm Kairi grabbed, landed right on his feet and stood up before her. It was a large figure wearing period clothes that were colored red and black. She then noticed his mask on the ground...

Kairi looked at the face hidden in darkness. But the moonlight came down upon them, and revealed the man's face! Kairi Shivered, "Y-Y-YOU'RE-!" The giant placed his mask back on his face, and said to her, "I'm someone else, trust me."

The caped giant then grabbed his broken arm...and ripped it off!

Kairi was shocked to see such a man do that to his own arm without screaming! The giant then said to her, "You're indeed skilled with hand-to-hand combat, and your skill with the guns is quite impressive. Killing you would be a waste..._**BUT THEN AGAIN, YOU'RE NOT A KEYBLADE MASTER!**_" Kairi asked, "Who...what are you?"

The giant answered, "**I am Son of the Crim flow form your veins.**"

Kairi then realized, "Crimson, the Golem King!"

"THAT'S CORRECT! You deserve a prize!"

Crimson then tossed his torn arm into the air! Kairi watched as the arm started bulging and growing, and just when things couldn't get any grosser, a long, thin head comes out, and then, strange arms and legs came out! The strange creature came down to the ground and stood up, and to Kairi's shock, the creature was indeed taller than Crimson!

Crimson then surprised Kairi by re-growing his old hand!

As the arm returned, Crimson noticed it twitching and bubbling, so he pulled out a spare glove and ran his new arm into the glove. After a few cracking and snapping sounds from the arm, Crimson's new arm calmed down and moved naturally.

Kairi shook her head in disbelief and said, "You...you really aren't human, are you?" Crimson didn't reply, instead, he pulled out from his back, a wine glass and filled it with some raspberry wine while saying to Kairi, "I've noticed you having an interest in my future pawn, my little minx. It's tragic, but you've only yourself to blame!" As Crimson finished filling his glass, he snapped his fingers, signaling the new Golem creature to attack! The Golem's arms strangely moved towards it's back, and pulled out two large clubs!

"Fan-girl...**MEET THE TRICKMASTER!**"

End of Chapter 56

* * *

**Next Chapter, Kairi faces the Trickmaster with some unusual help...**

**Please Comment.**


	57. Chapter 57

**Last time, Sora finds Kairi in his hotel room, wanting to make amends for holding him hostage and shooting at him. The young assassin at first didn't trust her, but after talking to one another, Sora finds that the gunslinging girl might not be as sinister as he thought. Kairi confessed that she wanted to be his friend from now on.**

**As the two started getting close, Sora confessed how he was trying to find the other Y. O. U. T. H. orphans, but he only found one thus far, who confessed that a few soldiers that worked under Basc Grand were responsible for taking them away. Then Kairi warns Sora about trusting military soldiers, especially when they were involved with a man named Shou Tucker...**

**Kairi revealed the Elric's past with Tucker, which shocked Sora beyond belief. Kairi left Sora with a warning, to not trust the Elric Brothers. Though Sora greatly disagreed with her, he still wanted her and him to have a good relationship with the Elrics. Kairi left Sora's room via the window, and was gone.**

**But the night wasn't over for Kairi. The gunslinger was attacked by another person with plans for the Keybearer, the Golem King himself, Crimson. His irritation of Kairi rivaled his own with the Elrics. So to wipe her off the face of the earth, he summoned a new Golem henchman...the Trickmaster!**

**Warning: Kingdom Hearts and Fullmetal Alchemist are both licensed by Square-Enix. The secondary licenses for both franchises are Disney (Kingdom Hearts), Aniplex, Bones Inc., and Funimation (Fullmetal Alchemist). **

******PS: There will be spoilers.**  


* * *

Fullmetal Kingdom: The Fanfic

Chapter 57: Trick or Treat

The Trickmaster gripped it's clubs tightly, and attacked Kairi with them! Though she dodged the first attack, the second caught her by surprise, and hit her straight into a wall! As Kairi recuperated from the attack, Crimson commented, "Interesting, little minx, VERY interesting! Most people can't survive being smashed, but you, YOU'RE truly one of a kind! In fact, in a few minutes, _**you'll be a thousand pieces of a kind!**_"

Kairi jumped over the Trickmaster's club and shot at it! But to her surprise, the bullets had no effect on it! Crimson laughed, "You've heard of Golems, yet you've never heard of their immunity to weapons? HA! It's so much fun to watch a novice try her best! Look, minx, you've clearly been beaten, so how'z about laying down and dying for me?"

Kairi replied, "No time for that, sorry! But YOU can die instead!"

The Gunslinger then shot a few rounds at Crimson, who just disappeared! Though he was gone, Kairi could still hear his voice, "I'd love to watch the Trickmaster make pancakes for breakfast, but I have plans, BIG plans to prepare for a certain Keyblade Master!"

"COWARD, FACE ME!" As Kairi called out, the Trickmaster used both it's clubs to attack! But as Kairi looked at the approaching clubs, they were instantly sliced in half!

"KAIRI, SHOOT IT'S EYES!"

Kairi complied and shot a barrage of bullets at the Trickmaster's eyes! As the Golem was covering it's eyes in pain, the person who advised Kairi came down before her...the manipulative woman, Lust, who was using a false identity to fool Sora, Havok, and the city's residents, Solaris.

"W-what are you doing here? I thought you were in Lior!" Kairi said as Lust approached her. Lust explained, "There's been a change of plans. But we don't have time to talk, that thing is getting back up!" Lust was right, for as the Gunslinging girl looked, the Trickmaster stood back up...and revealed eight more eyes!

And though it's clubs were sliced up, it still attacked the two! Kairi and Lust jumped out of the way, and climbed to the top of two buildings. Kairi reloaded her guns and saw the Golem's head poke up...along with the rest of it's tall body. It then proceeded to smashing Kairi, who swiftly dodged the attack!

(SMASH)

The Trickmaster brought down the building Kairi was on, and proceeded to chasing after Kairi, while trying to crush her. It brought down every building that Kairi was on, until it threw one of it's clubs in her way, and grabbed her! It squeezed Kairi and forced her to drop her guns, "CRAP!" The Trickmaster then threw her back down, and proceeded to crushing her with it's feet.

(SLASH)

But before it could step on Kairi, Lust sliced through it's leg, forcing it to fall down. As it was laying down, motionless, Lust called out, "Gluttony, I've got you some dinner!" Kairi heard the panting of the overweight man beside her and stepped away while he was walking towards the Golem. Kairi then said to Lust, "God, even HE'S here? He's so disgusting! Why do we even need him?" Lust replied, "He cleans up the messes we leave, therefore destroying the evidence. You see?" Kairi nodded, "...I guess."

Gluttony licked his chops and said, "Mmm, smells like chicken..." Gluttony ran towards the Trickmaster, and grabbed it's arm. Taking another whiff of the Golem, Gluttony proceeded to opening his mout and eating the tall creature. But then, the arm Gluttony was holding twisted around Gluttony and threw him towards Kairi and Lust!

"This one doesn't quit, does it?" Kairi asked as she pushed Gluttony off. Lust replied, "Just enjoy the battle Kairi." Lust's fingernails grew longer, Gluttony roared, and Kairi pointed her pistols at the Trickmaster as it's leg began to reshape.

Kairi was shocked by the Trickmaster's healing, "How the hell is it growing it's leg back?" Lust replied, "It's a simple fact, when there is darkness, there's a way. Any shadow nearby acts like Neosporin and a band-aid to the Golem's wounds. Crimson started using that ability during his encounter with the three last Keyblade Wielders."

"HERE IT COMES!"

The Trickmaster then jumps into the air, preparing to crush them with it's clubs! But the trio manage to dodge it's massive attack! Lust then noticed one of the trucks that were parked nearby, "That's a gas truck..." Kairi was still the Trickmaster's target, so she kept running while it swung it's clubs...

"KAIRI, GET OUT OF THE WAY!"

Kairi jumps to her left after the Trickmaster tried to grab her, and then, Lust turns on the hose connected to the gas truck, and drenches the Trickmaster with liquid gas. After turning the hose off, Lust smiled and pulled out some matches, then she lit one of them, and threw it at the Trickmaster...and just like that, it caught on fire!

The creature screeched out in pain as it's entire body was on fire. Lust then said to Gluttony, "Just the way you like'em, Gluttony...toasty."

Kairi looked at Lust and Gluttony and asked, "Well, not that I'm not grateful for your help, but I gotta ask..._**WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU GUYS DOING HERE?**_" Lust explained, "It's like I said, Kairi, there was a change in plans. Your new friend, Sora, was getting in the way of our progress in Lior, so I followed him here as a different alias. I'm currently using the names 'Solaris' to deceive everyone around me. He doesn't know of us, don't worry, he only knows me as a visitor in his hospital bed."

"Kairi asked, "You were at the hospital?" Lust nodded and said, "I was there long enough to notice those flowers you left him. Did he receive them?" Kairi shook her head, "No, the Fullmetal found them, and then, he met me where I was waiting for Sora. He put up a decent fight, and even avoided my Atomos. I figured that he'd probably try to arrest me, but he was actually pretty kind...and gentle. He told me that I could still see Sora. And I did, I did, and I enjoyed it. He now knows that we were once good friends! (sigh) I have him back Lust, I finally have him back."

Lust patted Kairi on the head, "Well...it couldn't have happened to anyone else but you. But here's where Casablanca ends! We can't risk anymore of your efforts to try and cuddle with your buddy. You know as well as I do that our existence is supposed to be a secret, and if he knows what you really are-"

"I think it came from here! COME ON!"

Kairi recognized the voice, "That was Sora! He must have heard this thing when it was attacking us!" Lust looked at Gluttony and said, "Gluttony, we're leaving!" Gluttony wined, "AW, Lust, I didn't even get to eat this stick monster! **Can I eat those people instead?**" Kairi replied, "You even drool at them, and you'll be missing a nose!"

(SMASH)

Suddenly, Gluttony was smacked away by a large burning object! It was the Trickmaster, who's wounds have healed, but his clubs were burning brightly with fire! Lust then said, "Damn it! This bastard's got nine lives, AND torches!" Lust and Gluttony retreat to the top of one of the buildings, then Lust said, "Kairi, that thing's unbeatable! WE HAVE TO RETREAT!"

Kairi attempts to follow, but she was grabbed by the Golem's stretchy arm and flung into a parked car! Kairi was weary, and was unable to get back up, so Gluttony giggled, "(giggle) That lady's gonna get it for threatening me! And when that monster is finished with her, I CAN EAT THEM BOTH!"

(SLAP)

Lust slapped the back of Gluttony's head and said, "GET DOWN THERE AND SAVE HER!" Gluttony wined, "L-Lust? Wh-why would y-you-(wimper)..." Gluttony whimpered as Lust shook her head, "(sigh) Our master isn't going to like hearing of your cowardice...so I'll do it." Lust points her finger at the Trickmaster, preparing to extend her fingernail and pierce it's head, when she noticed a few familiar characters arriving...

Sora and Alphonse recognized Kairi and rushed to her, with Ed, Donald, and Goofy following. "_**HANG ON KAIRI, I'M COMING!**_" Sora and Al noticed that they said the same thing, but decided to ignore the coincidence for now, and rescue their friend. The Trickmaster turned around and began to spin it's clubs...And to everyone's surprise, the spinning, burning clubs shot out a ball of fire at them!

(KA-THOOM)

Debris was flying everywhere, shocking everyone, forcing Donald to ask, "_**Is that thing shooting fireballs at us?**_" Another fireball came towards Ed, so Goofy swiftly used his shield to deflect the fireball!

(KA-THOOM)

Donald asked again, "_IS THAT THING SHOOTING FIREBALLS AT US?_"

Sora was then smacked by the burning club, then Ed, and Goofy, but before it hit Donald, Al managed to grab the club! So the Trickmaster readied it's other club to smash the younger Elric. Al then asked, "Donald, can't you use a spell on it?"

"_**IS THAT THING SHOOTING FIREBALLS AT US?**_"

"DONALD, SHUT UP AND ANSWER ME!"

Donald snapped out of his amazement and replied, "...D-douse...we need to douse the clubs! Is there a hydrant around here?" Al looked around and replied, "Uh...four actually. Why?" Donald answered, "Tear them open! I can use the water to put out the flames on those mallets! NOW GO!" Al then threw the club away and proceeded towards the closest hydrant!

Ed stands up and notices Al rushing to one of the fire hydrants with the Trickmaster following in pursuit, so he asked, "Al, what are you doing?" Al replied, "I'm trying to douse the flames on that thing's clubs! This should weaken it!" As the Trickmaster raised it's club, Al pulled out his chalk and drew a Transmutation Circle. And just when the Trickmaster brought the burning club down, Al clapped his hands and transmuted the hydrant open, letting loose a large amount of water at the Trickmaster's club!

The Trickmaster fell back from the force of the gushing water and noticed that one of it's clubs was no longer on fire. Ed patted Al on the back, "Good one Al! Now we just need to douse the other club!" Donald stepped in and said, "THAT'S my job, Full-monkey!" Donald then walked towards the hydrant and waved his wand in the gushing water, and watched as the water made his wand glow a bright blue light. Donald nodded at his succession and said to the Elrics, "You two just distract the Golem, and I'll use my magic to render it harmless. Once it's weakened enough, Sora can finish it off with the Keyblade!" Ed asked, "SORA? You think we need Sora to beat this thing? We've handled Golems before, and if you've forgotten, I took down a few on my own! And so did Al! Right Al?"

"Uh...brother..."

Ed noticed Al pointing at something, so he and Donald looked and saw the Trickmaster lighting it's other club with the other's flame. Ed smirked, "Resourceful, ain't he?" Then the Trickmaster stood up and started walking towards Donald and the Elrics, as it did, Donald asked, "What does it take to kill this thing?" Ed replied, "...why don't you ask Key-boy over-" Ed then noticed Sora wasn't anywhere, so he shook his head and said, "Guess we're doing this the old fashioned way." So Ed clapped his hands and transmuted a sword, readying himself for the Trickmaster's assault...

Sora was actually sneaking past the Trickmaster to try and reach Kairi, who was starting to wake up. Kairi rubbed her forehead and said, "Ugh, now I know how a wrecking ball feels."

"KAIRI!"

Kairi looked to her right, and saw Sora rushing towards her. He arrived and pulled her up, then he asked, "What's going on, Kairi? Why is a Golem attacking you?" Kairi explained, "...ya got me! Some muscular jerk attacked me, saying he was going to use you, and just like that, he tore off one or his arms and turned it into...well...THAT THING OVER THERE!" Sora was disturbed by what Kairi said, "Ew...well anyway, we'd better get you out of here before that Golem sees us!"

(SPLASH)

"DAMN IT, DUCK! YOU MISSED!"

Sora was completely drenched in water because of Donald's miss-fire. Sora wiped his eyes and said, "You just can't get good mages these days." Kairi giggled and said, "You look like a palmtree!" Sora shook his hair dry and said, "THAT'S IT, I'M STRETCHING THAT FREAK TO DISC 4!"

Kairi then stopped Sora and said, "It's me he's after, not you. So I'll finish it off, 'kay'? You just got out of the Hospital, so don't be a hero and die." Kairi brought her guns back out, reloaded them, and said, "Just sit back...and watch the fanservice."

End of Chapter 57

* * *

**Next Chapter, Kairi duals with the massive Golem, and a friendship is threatened by secrets...**

**Please Comment.**


	58. Chapter 58

**Last time, Crimson unleashed a menacing new Golem on Kairi called the Trickmaster, who's stretchy body made it difficult to defeat. As Kairi fought, the strange duo, Lust and Gluttony, arrive to assist their comrade in killing the creature. But the task was easier said than done when the Trickmaster rose back from the dead and attacked! The group decided to make a run for it, but before she could escape, Kairi was caught by the Golem, forcing Lust to try and save her. Luckily though, Lust didn't have to when the Gunslinger's friends, Sora and Alphonse (whom Kairi believes to be his older brother, Edward) arrived in time to stop the creature! Allied with Donald, Goofy, and the real Fullmetal Alchemist, the group fought the Trickmaster, who was still targeting Kairi. Sora however, provided her with cover and support. But Kairi didn't want Sora to get hurt and end up back in the Hospital, so the Gunslinger prepared her handguns and targeted the Trickmaster's eyes while saying...**

**"Just sit back...and watch the fan-service."  
**

**Warning: Kingdom Hearts and Fullmetal Alchemist are both licensed by Square-Enix. The secondary licenses for both franchises are Disney (Kingdom Hearts), Aniplex, Bones Inc., and Funimation (Fullmetal Alchemist). **

******PS: There will be spoilers.**  


* * *

Fullmetal Kingdom: The Fanfic

Chapter 58: The Gunslinger

Kairi yelled at the Trickmaster, "HEY, TWIGGY, BEND YER HEAD OVER HERE AND TAKE A GANDER AT A SITTING DUCK!" The Trickmaster looked and saw it's real target, so it raised it's burning mallet and swung downwards...

(KRA-KOOM)

The Golem delivered a massive blow, but to it's surprise, the gunslinging girl avoided it's attack! Kairi then said, "You may need your eyes checked..." Kairi pulled out her gun and shot two more eyes! As the creature screamed in pain, Kairi smirked, "I shot two eyes earlier, then you grew eight more. Now that I shot another set, I'd say you've got six left!"

Though Kairi had the upper hand, the Trickmaster non the less swung it's club and knocked her away! Kairi was quick to get back on her feet, then she looked at Donald and the Elric Brothers and said, "When it tries to crush me, you guys use the water to cool it's clubs down!" The Trickmaster then tried to squish Kairi with it's feet, but she dodged the attack by rolling away...then knocking into Sora!

Kairi shook off her dizziness to find herself on Sora, who was just as nervous as she was! "A-are you alright?" Sora asked, Kairi blushed and replied, "FINE! ...I'm just...just fine-" Before Kairi finished, Sora saw the Trickmaster bringing down it's burning mallet, so the Keyblade Master held Kairi tightly and said, "HOLD ON!" Sora quickly rolled out of the way, but the Trickmaster just kept throwing down it's mallets, trying to burn/crush it's target!

While the Keybearer was rolling for his life, Kairi (who was still in his arms) thought to herself, _My head might be getting dizzy, but this is a dream come true! I could just fall into a coma right now on his chest and stay this way forever!_ (sigh) Kairi sighed happily as Sora continued to dodge the Trickmaster's attacks.

"GEEZ, THIS THING WON'T STOP UNTIL WE'RE CREPS!" After dodge-rolling from another crushing blow, Sora asked Donald and the Elrics, "Are you going to get the water-works working or not?" Donald nodded, "ONE SUMMER VACATION COMING RIGHT UP!" The Trickmaster threw it's mallet down, and to it's surprise, it's mallet was doused in water. So it tried to light it's mallet with the other one, but to it's dismay-

(SPLASH)

It's other mallet was soaking with water.

Sora waved at his friends, "GOOD JOB GUYS! …?...Uh, Kairi, you can let go." Kairi noticed she was still holding onto Sora, so she grinned and lets go while the two stood up. "(giggle) uh...I was just...well..." Before Kairi could apologize, the Trickmaster swung it's club like a baseball bat and tried to bat Kairi away! Sora noticed the attack coming, "LOOK OUT!" So he pushed his childhood friend out of the way and took the blow!

Kairi watched as Sora was knocked away and into a building! Kairi ran to him and examined his body, "He's bleeding badly...again! He just got out of the hospital and he's bleeding again!" Kairi trembled as she had no way of helping her friend. Then Goofy came to her after waking up from the Trickmaster's attack. He looked at Sora and said to Kairi, "Hey, it's OK mam, Sora's been through worse. He just needs a bit of re-bandaging, and he'll be A-OK in the mor-...mam?" Kairi was walking towards the Trickmaster with a grim look. She turned towards Goofy and said, "Watch over my man, dog...I'll finish this." Goofy asked, "Mam, you should let us deal with this! That thing's dangerous, and if you get hit-"

"_**I SAID 'WATCH OVER MY MAN'!**_"

Goofy just turned to Sora and tended to his wounds while Kairi started reloading her guns.

She kept walking towards the Trickmaster until it noticed she was approaching. Despite it's clubs not having a single bit of fire on them, the Trickmaster still had the intention of smashing the gunslinger. Kairi then said, "**You can't imagine the fury building up inside of me. I know you're a Golem, and you can't understand how it feels to loose something precious. And the sad thing is, you'll never get the chance...since I'm going to kill you.**"

(BANG)

The Trickmaster screamed as it's sixth eye was shot, then Kairi siad, "I'll be counting down the seconds you have left...Five."

(BANG)

"Four."

Another eye bit the dust as the Golem creature drops it's clubs to cradle it's eye-sockets. Kairi then shot another bullet at the Trickmaster, but this one exploded and unleashed a large amount of water all over the Trickmaster's body.

"Three."

Angered, the Trickmaster reached out to the girl as she pointed her gun at it. Just before it could grab her, Kairi pulled the trigger.

"Two."

The next bullet unleashed a massive blanket of instant freezing ice! And since the Trickmaster was soaking wet, the ice easily froze it's entire form! The Trickmaster couldn't move it's arms, legs, ANYTHING! So Kairi explained, "You've just become a giant Popsicle, courtesy of my freezing bullet...the **Shiva**. The bullet's name is based off a goddess who's heart grew colder than ice when her lover Shivar passed on to the next world, the Afterlife. As a result of her frozen heart, her kiss became all the more deadlier...so deadly, she gave it a name..."

"**The Diamond Dust.**"

(BANG)

Kairi then shot one last bullet through the Golem's frozen body, killing it instantly. The Trickmaster's body was then shattered into thousands of frozen pieces. Kairi then turned around and walked away while saying, "She never found a man who survived the kiss..."

Everyone watched as Kairi walked away from what remained of the stretchy menace, and ran to Sora's side. "How's he doing?" Kairi asked Goofy, who smiled and said, "Well he's not dead, and thank Heavens for that. It took only 4 bandages to cover his wounds, which is good because the number of bruises Sora usually had were about 9 or 7, just to cover the small wounds. But he's OK mam, nothing to worry about. In fact, I think he'll be back on his feat in no time-"

"Ugh, why is there a band-aid on my eye?"

"SORA!" Kairi hugged her friend tightly as he took the band-aid off his eye. Sora tried to calm Kairi down, "Yes, I'm fine! Now could you let me go?" Kairi complied and released him, "...sorry." The two blushed as they looked at each other, then looked away.

"Nice shooting, Kairi! That was amazing!" Alphonse said as he, Donald and Ed came to her, Sora, and Goofy. Kairi shook Al's hand, "No, YOU were amazing! If it wasn't for your advice, Sora would've never known that we were once friends. Though his memory is a bit scrambled, I'm still happy that he acknowledges me as his ally. Thank you Fullmetal Alchemist, Edward Elric, thank y-"

"_**WAIT A DAMN MINUTE LADY, THAT'S MY TITLE AND MY NAME!**_"

Kairi noticed the real Ed coming in front of her and said, "...what? You're not Ed, HE IS!" Ed replied, "No he's not! I AM! I AM EDWARD ELRIC!" Kairi then said, "You're probably the younger brother, Alphonse. And I'll tell you something else, being jealous of your older brother isn't a rewarding feeling, it's a feeling that makes you feel like a jerk!" Ed countered, "THIS big guy is my younger brother! Get it? He's Alphonse Elric! I'm Edward Elric! GET YOUR BROTHERS RIGHT!"

Al scratched the back of his head and said, "I-it's true Kairi, I'm his younger brother." Kairi felt confused, so she asked, "WHA? B-but you're a tank! You're big enough to be the older brother! Why is this guy your older brother? He's-" Sora stopped Kairi before she finished, "Kairi, if there's any advice I can give you as a friend, then take these two words to heart: **walk away.**"

Kairi looked at Ed and said, "...You're the real one, huh?" Ed nodded, "Real as those guns. Which reminds me, who gave you the right to use them?" Kairi asked, "Why should it matter? I saved you." Ed laughed, "Yeah, with named bullets! One of which used a power similar to the duck's abilities (Donald: "Hey, it's Donald! DONALD!"). Just who are you, and what kind of weapon unleashes a snow storm?"

Kairi smirked, "Didn't you hear '_**tall-dark-and metal**_' over here? I'm Kairi, Kairi...Maylight. And I'm a childhood friend of Sora's!" Ed looked at Sora and asked, "Is she telling the truth?" Sora replied, "...well...alright Ed, I don't really know. I can't remember much of my past." Ed asked, "You do remember your time at that Assassin-Orphanage, right?" Sora explained, "I do...but...before that..." Al guessed what Sora was going to say, "You have no memory of your entire childhood." Sora nervously nodded, making Kairi ask, "...Do you still have the charm?"

Sora was startled by Kairi's question, "? H-how did you-?" Ed then asked, "What charm? Sora didn't have anything on him but his clothes and his freak-sword." Sora explained, "...Kairi...I gave it to Riku to keep until I returned to the Orphanage." Kairi was surprised, "RIKU? You saw Riku? Why didn't you tell-" Sora asked, "_**Wait a minute, HOW DO YOU KNOW RIKU?**_"

Kairi was unsure how to answer Sora's question, so she said to him, "...that charm...I made it." Sora felt surprised, so he told her, "Kairi...I don't know how you know him...but you should know that he's-"

"So this is where you've been!"

Lust ran to Kairi and hugged her. She then introduced herself, "Well, you must be the Elric Brothers! It's a pleasure to meet you two, my sister and I have been your BIGGEST fans! Kairi's such a lucky girl to have met her heroes, even their bodyguard is a legend! Oh! Where are my manners, I am Solaris, Kairi's big sis."

Sora crossed his arms, "Yeah, we've already met."

Lust looked at Sora as he glared at her. She then said, "Now, now, Sora. That's no way to make friends...or find them." Sora asked, "What are you talking about?" Lust explained, "Havoc just spilled the beans on our recent date. I have two words that might interest you if you're still so eager to find your so-called friends." Sora had no intention of listening to the woman that badmouthed him and his friends from the Orphanage, but he had no choice. "...I still want to find them. Please, tell me Solaris."

Lust smiled and said to him, "...**Destiny**...**Islands**..." Sora was shocked, so he asked, "My home...back in Aerugo?" Lust nodded, "That is the location of the Elrics' target, Tim Marcoh. And when I heard Jeanie say the words 'Destiny' and 'Islands', I seem to recall a survivor living there, trying to fix the damage. Who knows, it might be one of your friends."

Sora smiled and said, "Solaris...'_**Thank You**_'...are two words I usually use for someone who ISN'T my enemy. Earlier in the hospital, you were heartless, telling me that Y. O. U. T. H. Assassins have no hearts, no feelings, no friends. Because of what you said, I almost felt lost and pathetic! But spending time with one of them made me remember why I'm searching for them." Lust guessed, "Because you're all alone, and you'll do anything to fulfill your pathetic ego?"

Sora then pulled out the golden Thalassa Shell Tidus gave him.

"Because you don't know them. I know them for them, and they know me...for me. My memories with them may have been dull, but they shared ideas with me, even secrets and laughter. You're right about how we were trained to kill, but we were still there for each other, and THAT counts as something! This golden shell is proof that deep down, we're all human, and my friends are closer than you think." Sora then smiled warmly at Kairi, who blushed and said, "...thank you."

Lust sneered, "Believe what you want, little boy. But don't be surprised if it turns out to be Riku."

Sora held his anger back, and watched as Lust and Kairi walked away. Sora then said to himself, "Whether it's him or not, I'm still going to save them." Ed then asked, "So...you still aren't convinced that Riku's a traitor?" Sora turned towards Ed and replied, "I'm not. But neither are you. Let's just go back and get some shut-eye."

Ed then said, "Well you know...those two chicks knew something about him that we didn't." Sora asked, "What's your point?" Ed explained, "That those two knew something about your former buddy, that's what! Coincidence? DAMN RIGHT! Those two are playing you, Sora. If two strangers knew his name, and his actions, then there's something wrong!" Sora shook his head and headed back to the Hotel.

"LISTEN TO ME!"

Sora stopped instantly as Ed grabbed his shoulder. "I know it's hard to accept, and I know you don't agree with everything I say, but just this once, see my point! Kairi might not be a childhood friend, and Solaris might be pulling your strings! They could be luring you into a trap!"

Sora pushed Ed away and said, "**I CAN HANDLE IT!** And besides, why should YOU care? You're looking for Marcoh, remember? He might know how to get your bodies back! You're NOT looking for my friends, you're NOT helping me learn who I am, and you're NOT getting involved! I was picked by Mustang to look after you and protect you! He DIDN'T pick me to get you involved with MY problems! **SO JUST LEAVE ME ALONE!**"

Sora walked away, leaving Donald, Goofy, and the Elrics wondering about Sora's recent outburst...

End of Chapter 58

* * *

**Next Chapter, a side of darkness haunts Sora's dreams while Edward comes to a decision regarding his bodyguard...**

**Please Comment.  
**


	59. Chapter 59

**Last time, Kairi unleashed Hell upon the Trickmaster by shooting out it's eyes. But the Golem was only irritated and so it tried crushing the Gunslinging Girl with it's massive mallets. But as Kairi was almost taken out, Sora took the blow instead, leaving him badly wounded. Enraged, Kairi used her Shiva bullet and froze the Trickmaster, and then, using one plain bullet, she killed the monster instantly, and shattered it's entire body, hence the traditional attack 'the Diamond Dust'.  
**

**Sora was tended to by Goofy, and as soon as he was bandaged up, he was embraced by Kairi. She then thanked the Elrics after Ed explained who the 'real' Fullmetal Alchemist was, and introduced herself to them as 'Kairi Maylight', an old childhood friend of Sora's. However, Edward has a hard time believing her as much as Sora does. Kairi then asked Sora about his charm, which she revealed was created by her. Sora confessed that he gave it to Riku, who Kairi seems to know...  
**

**But before Kairi had time to explain her relation to Riku, Lust (using her false name 'Solaris) hugged Kairi and introduced herself as Kairi's older sister. Lust then hinted the location of Sora's missing friends from Y. O. U. T. H.. They were in Destiny Islands, Sora's old home. Despite what Lust said to Sora back at the hospital, the Keybearer still thanked her for telling him. He also told her that despite what she believed, she never truly knew them. Lust sneered and told Sora not to be surprised if Riku shows up as well.  
**

**As Lust and Kairi left, Ed started to wonder how the two sisters even knew about Riku. Ed tried to warn Sora not to trust them, but Sora didn't listen. Instead, Sora asked why Ed should care since his current goal isn't to help Sora, but to find Tim Marcoh? He then told Ed that they shouldn't get mixed up in his problems, and that they should just leave him alone. However, Sora's seclusion only deepened Edward's need to understand his troubled bodyguard...  
**

**Warning: Kingdom Hearts and Fullmetal Alchemist are both licensed by Square-Enix. The secondary licenses for both franchises are Disney (Kingdom Hearts), Aniplex, Bones Inc., and Funimation (Fullmetal Alchemist). **

**PS: There will be spoilers.**

* * *

Fullmetal Kingdom: The Fanfic

Chapter 59: Turning to the Darkside

As everyone returned to their rooms in the Hotel, Sora went into his, frustrated by Ed's words of suspicion. He drank a glass of milk and sighed, "(sigh) How much do I need to deal with? Babysitting the Elrics, rescuing the other orphans, rescuing Rose and Eiko, and meeting with a friend-turned-psycho! YOU THINK I'D BE FINISHED AT THIS RATE!" Sora then drops on his bed, exhausted by the long night.

He then turned over, on his back, and said to himself, "I hate this. With every chance I get, I end up getting caught in something worse! What's happened to you Riku? Why Rose? Why me? What are you thinking?" Succumbing to his tired body, Sora closed his eyes and went to sleep...

...but for some, sleep isn't so easy to achieve. In their room, Al and Ed went to bed, but Ed's eyes were still opened. Al asked, "Brother, what's wrong?" Ed said to himself, "...that bastard! Thinking he can yell at me and walk away!" Al tried to calm his brother down, "We'll talk to him about it later, brother. He's obviously got something on his mind that's troubling him. We'll wait until tomorrow, then he'll be able to talk."

As the Elrics tried to sleep, Sora was already out like a light...

Sora then started to dream that he was in a dark area, and that he was standing on a stained-glass floor...

"...Oh no."

He was once again in the strange dream where he heard the voice of an unknown being. The stained-glass floor now appears to have three Keyblade Wielders, bowing down to an elderly man who smiled at his pupils while standing before a castle. Sora called out, "HEY, I KNOW YOU'RE WATCHING ME! WHY DID YOU BRING ME BACK?"

_**Your trials are going to get harder as time goes on.**_

_**In order for you to fulfill your destiny...**_

_**...you must learn to unlock the Keyblade's power.**_

Suddenly, out of the darkness came more Shadow Golems. Sora noticed them coming from behind, so he drew his Keyblade. But to his surprise, one appeared before him and attacked him! And just when things couldn't get any worse, hundreds more appeared all around him!

The Golems readied their claws and attacked him, but they were instantly wiped out with a single swing! Another Golem pounced Sora and bit him, but the Keybearer grabbed the Golem and threw it at a group of it's kind! Two more were decapitated, then Sora ran his blade through the next two! "Well? Anyone else?" Sora asked. But to his disappointment, the area was completely empty.

Then, a beacon of light shined down on Sora, and as he wondered where the light was coming from, a stained-glass stairway appeared! Sora asked, "What's with the stairs?"

_**It's the pathway to your destination.**_

Sora first looked under the stairs and noticed that nothing is keeping the stairs up. The stairs were just floating in mid air, then Sora came to a conclusion, "Well, this IS a dream, so abnormal things like this happen...I guess." The young Keybearer then started walking up the stairs while the voice spoke to him...

_**As you use the Keyblade, it's power evolves.**_

It will learn new abilities, actions, and attributes.

Sora finally reached the end of the stairs, where the stained glass floor now has an image of a masked boy meeting with the younger Keybearer while the two other Keyblade Masters were fighting. As he stood, Sora noticed the stairway disappearing, thus removing any chance of escaping.

"Heh, heh, well, there goes my way out." Sora said sarcastically. As he looked around, checking to see what would pop up and attack, the voice spoke again...

_**The closer you get to light,**_

_**the greater your shadow becomes.**_

Sora turned around and noticed his shadow was starting to grow bigger, and bigger, until it was ten times the size of Sora's normal shadow! Sora looked at his shadow as it then started bubbling, then the shadow pulled itself up! Sora watched as his shadow changed into a larger version of himself. But the shadow's form started changing further into a dark, bulky, winged creature, with a hole through it's body that was shaped like a heart! And it's scarred face was covered by it's stringy and gangly hair.

_**But don't be afraid.**_

It's yellow eyes then noticed Sora and so the giant started walking towards him.

_**And don't forget...**_

Sora started running away from the creature, but he stopped at the ledge, realizing that there was nowhere to run. So he drew his Avenger out and said, "Another Golem means another headache." He turned around and prepared to fight the giant Golem.

Back in the Elrics's Hotel room, Ed couldn't sleep. His mind was still set on Sora's outburst. "...That's it! I'm not waiting anymore, I'M TELLING THAT PINNAPLE-HEADED DUMBASS OFF!" Ed got up from his bed and left the room. Al tried to calm his brother, "Brother please! Go back to sleep and wait a bit-"

(SLAM)

"...more."

Back in the dream, the Golem giant clenched it's fist and prepared for an attack! Sora readied himself while saying, "You're gonna miss, you're gonna miss, you're gonna miss-" The giant then threw it's fist at Sora, who jumped out of the way! But despite his quick dodge, Sora noticed that the giant wasn't finished with him yet. The giant's fist started oozing and bubbling, and then, the bubbles started growing arms, legs, and finally, a head with antennas...the giant was creating Shadow Golems!

Sora slashed the small creatures into pieces, but suddenly, he felt something shock him! He turned around and noticed that the Giant Golem was pulling something out of the ground! The giant pulled, and brought out an enormous ball of energy from the ground. It then carried the ball up to the sky, ad as Sora watched, the voice called out to him.

_**Quickly, point your Keyblade at the creature's Ball of Darkness!**_

Sora complied and pointed his blade at the giant's orb.

_**Now, before the giant unleashes it's power, call upon your inner power!**_

"RIGHT! ...uh, not right. How am I supposed...to..." Sora then noticed the giant's dark ball was growing bigger...

_**The bigger it gets, the stronger the attack will be.**_

_**Now to stop it, you need to use YOUR inner power!**_

"My inner power...I...I don't have any inner-...wait! Is it alchemy?"

_**...something like that.**_

_**But the inner power you need is something related to an element.**_

_**Tell me, what element represents anger?**_

Sora thought for a few seconds and came up with an answer, "...**Fire.**"

(SCORCH)

And just when Sora said his answer, a ball of fire shot out of the Keyblade, and right into the Ball of Darkness! As Sora watched, the giant's ball started shaking, twitching, and moving out of control...

(KRA-KOOM)

Then the Ball of Darkness exploded, sending large amounts of flame upon the giant, who writhed and wailed in pain. Sora stood proudly as the giant was backing away towards the edge. But the giant didn't fall back, it clenched it's fists and punched through the floor, causing a black pool to cover the area! Sora then noticed that the black pool was pulling him in with thorn-like tentacles! And as he tried to resist, the voice was heard again...

_**Now, now, don't be afraid.**_

_**You hold the mightiest weapon of all.**_

_**So don't forget:**_

_**You are the one...who will-**_

"OPEN THE DOOR!"

The voice of Edward woke Sora up from his bizarre dream. As Sora rubbed his eyes, he heard Ed again, "HEY TREE-HEAD, OPEN THE DOOR!" so Sora said to him, "I'm not singing you a lullaby, 'Chicken Little'! Let me sleep!" Ed replied, "You want me to use alchemy to open the door? Trust me, I'LL DO IT!"

Sora was irritated by Ed's voice, but he knew either way, Ed was going to come in, so he jumped off his bed and walked towards the door. He grabbed the knob and twisted it, pulled the door open, and there Ed was, with a serious scowl on his face. "(sigh) What is it, Ed?" Sora asked. But instead of a simple reply, Ed barged into Sora's room, sat down on a chair, and said, "...Alright...What's wrong with you?" Sora sat on his bed and said, "Nothing! I'm fine! Just fi-"

"**You're lying.**"

Ed knew there was something troubling his bodyguard, so he asked, "You've been acting funny ever since you returned! Those bruises and cuts you had...they brought you back like that. Tell me what happened!" Sora answered, "...I...lost Isaac...he ran off before I could catch up with him." Ed then asked, "You weren't alone, were you? Riku was there, wasn't he? That was why you were acting so defensive when that lady mentioned his name!"

Sora stood up and said, "You don't know that! Nobody knows what happened! I just told you what happened, so leave already!" Ed stood up and asked, "Riku is there, isn't he? ISN'T HE? What does he want from you? ...or...is it something he has?" Sora answered, "It's not Riku...he's not the reason why I-" Ed then looked Sora in the eye, "**THEN TELL ME WHY!**"

"**NO! GET OUT!**"

Ed crossed his arms and didn't budge, "...Sora...I'm not the type to get help from the military, but if you don't tell me the truth, I will make an order...to suspend you...AND your activities. They made you my bodyguard Sora, they didn't make you a spy! We've butted heads for sometime, you've always had a problem with me...but you're always a shield. You never cared about yourself, you've cared about so many others...including me...Alphonse...the duck...that dippy-looking dog...you've even cared for people who hated you...**like Rose.**"

Sora sighed in grief, making Ed realize... "...Rose...?...Riku has Rose, doesn't he?"

Sora's eyes widened as Ed guessed the truth. So Sora slowly nodded, "...he knew about her and me...he took her to Destiny Islands...and he kidnapped another...she was a little girl that helped me. Her name is Eiko, and she and Vivi are the reason I'm still alive! I promised Vivi that we would save them!" Ed shook his head and said, "Sorry to say this Sora, but...you won't be doing this alone. We're going with you."

Sora protested, "But what about Marcoh? He might have the Philosopher Stone, the one thing in the whole country that can change you and Al back!" Ed replied, "Marcoh can wait! You've got problems to, you know. We've still got to find those friends of yours. And besides, Marcoh and your assassin-buddy are in the same country, Aerugo, where they both live in Destiny Islands. We don't have to worry OR fight each other when our goals are the same."

Sora asked, "Why would you help me, Ed?"

Ed answered, "Because you poisoned yourself to save me."

...

End of Chapter 59

* * *

**Next Chapter, Sora and the Elrics head out to Destiny Islands while Kairi reports back to her master...**

**Please Comment.  
**


	60. Chapter 60

**Last time, Sora's frustrations and stress led to him falling asleep and having yet another nightmare about him being in a world of stain-glass platforms. While dreaming, Sora found himself attacked once again by the Golems. After slaying the creatures, a pathway appeared that led to another platform, where he fought against his shadow, a massive Golem called Darkside. Darkside was surprisingly agile, and unleashed unstable attacks on the Keybearer, including a summoning that occurred during one of his attacks. To defeat the beast, the mysterious voice ordered Sora to unleash a new attack, the ability to unleash an element based on his rage, the Fire spell, which shot into the Darkside's Ball of Darkness, and destroyed it. Then the flames of Sora's spell came upon Darkside, who writhed in pain and anguish, but the monster wasn't done yet, it summoned a black hole beneath Sora and pulled him into it...**

**But just when Sora was almost done for, Edward's voice woke him up!  
**

**Sora lets Edward in, but was immediately interrogated for his earlier actions, like what happened in Lior AND whether or not Riku was involved. Ed then learned that Riku was responsible for kidnapping Rose and Eiko, and it was tearing Sora apart. So since Sora's target was located in Destiny Islands like Ed's target, Dr. Tim Marcoh, Edward suggested that the two of them put aside their anger issues and worked together for the common goal...  
**

**Warning: Kingdom Hearts and Fullmetal Alchemist are both licensed by Square-Enix. The secondary licenses for both franchises are Disney (Kingdom Hearts), Aniplex, Bones Inc., and Funimation (Fullmetal Alchemist). **

**PS: There will be spoilers.**

* * *

Fullmetal Kingdom: The Fanfic

Chapter 60: Separate Pathways

In a dark room with a beam of light shining down, Lust walked in the light with Kairi alongside her. Lust then said, "Boy, you really know how to pick'em, don't you?" Kairi asked, "What do you mean?" Lust explained, "That boy, the new Master of the Keyblade. It's a smart strategy, don't get me wrong. But the boy isn't a fool...well, not a lonely fool. You've exposed too much secrets, now the Elrics will become suspicious of you and your motives."

Kairi pouted, "I can take care of it. I'll find a way to restore him...and I won't let the Elrics get in the way. If they do- (pulls the glock's slide)-**I'll kill them both.**"

"Big words for a teenager..."

Kairi looked behind her and saw Envy coming with Gluttony, who was eating a large piece of meat on a bone. Envy came before Kairi and said, "...but nobody kills them but ME!" Kairi asked, "What would a cross-dresser want with the Elrics? And shouldn't you be playing the role of a fat old man in Lior?" Envy answered, "The Ishbalins were too busy walking on landmines to notice their 'beloved' Father Cornello had left them." Kairi was disgusted by what Envy said, "You're a real sick piece of work, you know that?" Envy countered, "Takes one to know one! Especially one who's got a thing for amnesia-stricken boys. Hmm, I wonder what he'd say if I told him-"

Kairi angrilly pulled out her gun and pointed it at Envy, who simply smacked it out of her hand! "Now you're gonna get it, 'princess'!" Envy then grabbed Kairi and prepared a fist...

(SNIKT)

But Lust stopped Envy by extending her spear-like nails and pointing them all at his neck! "Let her go, Envy." Lust commanded. So Envy released the gunslinger, but then said, "_**HAPPY-DAY**_, little princess. You've been let off the hook...for now." As Envy walked away, Lust looked at Kairi and said, "...there's a saying, Kairi. '**Think before you act**'...but then, you have been thinking about him, so I wouldn't be surprised."

**Ah, my children, you've returned.**

Kairi and the Homunculi turned to the same direction and bowed before the one who spoke to them.

**Ah, Kairi, my dear child. Tell your father about your day.**

Kairi approached the figure in darkness, who's white hand came into the light and touched her cheek. Kairi reported, "I...I found the new Keyblade Master, father."

**And what is his name, sweetheart?**

"...Sora. He is the bodyguard of two alchemists."

**Alchemists? Splendid, just splendid!**

**Envy, my child, why do you seem so angry?**

**Are you not happy to meet with your father?**

Envy felt frightened and replied, "N-NO, MASTER! It's just that...this newbie that Kairi is interested in almost cost us Lior! He took some Ishbalins and left the city! So far, Lust watched over him, but she hasn't killed him yet!" Kairi argued, "We can only kill those who know of our existence and threaten to reveal our plans! Sora doesn't know anything about the Homunculus! All he knows is that Lior was at war with the military! And knowing him, I can tell that he doesn't want anyone he cares for to know about Lior, otherwise, he'd risk exposing them to whomever is responsible! MEANING US!"

Lust nodded, "Like I said, he's not a fool. But for now, he sees us as humans, including Kairi."

**Kairi...you let him see you?**

"I-I came into the hotel room he was staying in. I told him...about our past together."

**...did he see the mark?**

The hand then pulled down the right lace of Kairi's dress, where on the back of her right shoulder, there was the mark of the Ouroboros, the snake that bites it's tail, the very same mark the rest of the Homunculus had on their bodies. Kairi quickly put the lace back up on her shoulder and replied, "...no father. I did not reveal it to him, and I did not tell him anything related to my kin."

**Ah, good. Then there's nothing to worry about.**

**Now the alchemists...how talented are they?**

Kairi reported, "These alchemists were brothers. The elder brother is a short 15 year old who lost his arm and leg and replaced them with Automail. He is a State Alchemist with the nickname 'Fullmetal'. The younger brother is a hollow suit of armor, judging from his voice, I'd say he was 13-14 years old. Despite his heavy size, he's managed to best many foes and find weaknesses in even the most lethal of weapons. They are exceptional and gifted alchemists...worthy of your plans."

**And their names?**

"Edward and Alphonse Elric."

**...'Elric' you say? Hmm...Elric...the name...it's familiar...**

**Well done Kairi, you may continue your observation of the Keyblade Master.**

**You will tell me what he's learned...**

**AND what he thinks of you.**

**If he has learned too much-**

"...then I will be merciful...**and give you his head.**"

(clapping)

**Such a good daughter, you always knew how to make a father proud.**

Kairi then walked away and out of the light. The doors opened as she stepped out, and as she did, Envy smirked, "Make us proud, heart-breaker!"

When the doors closed, Lust noticed a small path of water from the door...

Kairi walked through a hallway...with large amounts of tears coming from her eyes.

The next morning, the Elrics arrived in the train station, ready to begin their search in Aerugo for Tim Marcoh. "HEY, GET YER BUTTS OVER HERE ALREADY!" Ed called out to Sora, Donald, and Goofy, who were bringing the luggage over. However, the luggage was heavy as hell as the trio tried to bring the suitcases over. Sora jokingly said, "Y'know Ed, dwarfs hide in caves to avoid people while Elves show a bit of compassion AND HELP! The size is obvious, but what are you? A dwarf, or an elf?" Ed angrily replied, "**DID. YOU. JUST. CALL. ME-?**"

Al then came to Sora's side and helped him with the large suitcase, "There, this'll be easier if we work together!" Sora nodded, and the two went on the train with ease. As Ed's temper started to fade away, Donald asked, "Hey, a little help here?"

"_**WHY-YA-REFFERING-TA-ME-LIKE-I'M-A-LITTLE-ELF-DWARF-FREAK-THAT-SINGS-STUPID-SONGS-WHILE-HELPING-OUT-DUCKS?**_"

Donald shook his head and said, "I'm just saying 'you can help out'! What do you want me to say?" Goofy answered, "Try asking or saying 'please'. (ahyuk) It's not so bad, it's one of the best ways to get through life, with a little help from your friends." Ed nodded and said, "Yeah, try asking please, THEN sing a merry tune like, '_Hi ho, hi ho, it's home from work we-_'"

(BASH)

Donald threw the suitcase down on Ed's only flesh foot...

"_**GEEEEEEEEEEEEEEAAAAAA-!**_"

Back at the Eastern HQ...

"Sir did you hear that?" Hawkeye asked.

Mustang replied, "Meh, just Ed."

"_**-AAAAAAUUUUUUUUUUUUGH!**_"

Donald then said, "Why don't you '_Heave ho, heave ho_' this stupid case and **call me by my first name for a change?** Come on, Goofy!" As Donald boarded the train (with a proud look on his face), Goofy took the suitcase off Edward's foot and said, "It's OK, Mr. Elric, I'll carry this one to-" Ed then snatched it away and said, "N-no need, you've already got one, so I'll carry this one!"

And so the Genome and the Fullmetal boarded the train with luggage in hand, unaware that they were followed...

Inside the train, the heroes found their seats. Once they settled in, Goofy asked, "So Mr. Elric, who's this Tim Marcoh we're look'n for?" Ed explained, "An alchemist who used a strange form of alchemy to heal the sick. His alchemy glows red whenever he uses it, so we're going to find out whether or not he has anything related to the Philosopher Stone." Goofy cheered, "Then if he does have that uh, 'Foe-loser-fy Stone, you and your brother will be turned back to normal (ahyuk)! Ya hear that Donald? In a few days, the Elrics will finally be restored!"

"Yeah, great. Then we get the Keyblade Master and ditch these chumps."

Everyone looked at Donald with shocked faces...

Donald looked at them and said, "WHAT? It's your own fault, Sora! You were wasting time with these two schmucks, helping them with something THEY should be looking for alone!" Sora then said, "I was sold to them from Y. O. U. T. H.! I didn't have a choice! Besides, being a bodyguard has it's perks. I have new friends, a new family, I have everything I could ever want."

Donald angrily replied, "THOSE PEOPLE AREN'T YOUR FRIENDS _**OR**_ FAMILY, THEY ARE YOUR OWNERS! They treat you nice because you're like a pet to them! And why would you have a family? Because that's what an orphan wants, especially an orphan trained to kill! But it's all a lie, especially the so-called friendship you have with those stupid brothers! They're old enough to go off on their own, they don't need you, WE need you, WE need to find the president, WE need to make you stronger since you've got the only thing that could save our world AND our country's leader, THE KEYBLADE! Those two are sinners that performed a forbidden taboo! Or have you even heard of Human Transmutation? The way I see it, these two deserve to be alone! Just as much as they deserve to remain the way they are, _**DEFORMED!**_"

Donald's words rattled Sora and the Elrics, and Goofy couldn't believe what he heard. So Goofy said, "DONALD DUCK! HOW COULD YOU SAY THAT ABOUT OUR FRIENDS?" Donald replied, "Oh, can-it, Goofy! I've been with these idiots for a long time, and I STILL haven't found anything about our president! I could've found him without the military. And unlike YOU, I actually care about the president!"

Goofy stood up from his seat and said, "I care to! But you've become so grumpy and stubborn...YOU FORGOT WHAT A FRIEND WAS! And THAT'S worse than ANY lie the military can say! Those soldiers back at the base were really nice and funny! One of them liked puppies for crying out loud! And the first lieutenant took that puppy in as a pet! Just this morning, she was taking him out for a walk! And the Elrics were just as nice! Mr. Elric's younger brother treats Sora like an equal, like a person, not an assassin, or even a bodyguard! And Mr. Elric himself was strong enough to take care of himself, but he never tossed Sora away! NO! He kept him along, just like he kept us! Because we're friends, WE'RE a team! Just like you, me, and the president!"

Donald clenched his fist, but he looked down with a saddened face and said, "...B-but...there's no point in doing this! The Philosopher Stone...it...it's not real! They'll never find it!" Goofy sat next to Donald and said (with a smile), "Yes they will! They'll find it...because WE'LL help them! Besides, not only can we help Mr. Elric and his brother change back to normal, but we can also help Sora in his training with the Keyblade! We can do it, Donald! We can do both missions at the same time. And I'm sure we'll find the president soon. (ahyuk) Yup, I know we can! Like the saying goes, '_**All for One & One for All**_'!"

Donald started to cheer up, "...All for one, huh?" Al then said, "Yeah, we'll help you just as you're helping us." Ed suddenly said, "_**HOLD IT!**_ If the duck wants to come...then he has to apologize!"

"OK, Goofy, I so-."

"No not him! _**US!**_"

Donald looked at Sora, Alphonse, and Edward and said, "...OK...O...Kizay...(sigh)...(deep breath)...OK-Dokey-(Ed: "JUST DO IT!")...Alright...Sora, I'm sorry I said all those things about your friends and family. And Al...Sorry about saying that you and Ed deserved this...ALL of this. And Ed...same thing." Ed then said, "Whaddya mean 'same thing'? You mean 'same apology as Al'? Or 'same thing as every other guy the get's just 'I'm sorry''?"

Donald gritted his teeth and said, "**I'm sorry, alright?**" Ed smiled and said, "I CAN'T HEAR YOU!"

"_**...I'M SORRY FOR CALLING YOU DEFORMED AND SAYING YOU'RE A SINNER! I'M SORRY, ALRIGHT? I'M SORRY!**_" Everyone felt much better afterwords, even Goofy, who hugged Donald and said, "I'm proud of ya, Donald! Today, you've become a better human being!" Donald grunted and sat back down with his arms crossed.

And as the train began to move, Sora noticed someone sitting close by, someone that looked like he had a scar on his forehead...

End of Chapter 60 and the Return Arc

* * *

**Next Chapter, Sora and the Elrics arrive at Destiny Islands while Kairi follows them...**

**Please Review  
**


	61. Chapter 61

**Last time, Kairi went with Lust to meet with their father, whom Kairi reported about Sora becoming the new Keyblade Master, and the Elric Brother's talent in alchemy. Joyfully pleased with Kairi's findings, the father allowed her to continue her mission to spy on the trio, but he required Kairi to take Sora's life if he gets too close to the truth.**

**The gunslinger walked away, silently crying for what her father ordered.  
**

**Meanwhile, in East City, Sora, Donald, Goofy, and the Elric Brothers boarded a train to Aerugo, where they hope to find the man with answers to Edward's questions, Dr. Tim Marcoh. As the train left, Sora couldn't help but notice someone with a scar on his forehead sitting close by...  
**

**Warning: Kingdom Hearts and Fullmetal Alchemist are both licensed by Square-Enix. The secondary licenses for both franchises are Disney (Kingdom Hearts), Aniplex, Bones Inc., and Funimation (Fullmetal Alchemist). **

**PS: There will be spoilers.**

* * *

Fullmetal Kingdom: The Fanfic

Chapter 61: The Search Begins

After three days, Sora, the Elrics and Genomes arrived at the country, Aerugo. There, they came to the place where Marcoh AND Riku were, Destiny Islands.

The train arrived, and the passengers came out with cheerful and exhausted faces. And waiting on a bench, was the little pointy-hatted boy, Vivi, who was waiting with a soldier for Sora, who promised to help him find Eiko.

And then, Vivi heard something...

"_**WHAT DID YOU CALL ME?**_"

"Brother, please calm down!"

Vivi noticed a giant suit of armor trying to stop a small, blond young man in a red coat from reaching for a fat man with glasses, who said, "But sir, your diminutive size is contrary to the respect and love that the little people beneath the rich deserve so much-."

"_**DON'T CALL ME LITTLE!**_"

The fat man made a run for it, afraid that the blond young man would get free and wring his neck!

Vivi then noticed a spiky-haired teenager come out of the train, "Sora?" Vivi rushed towards the young man and greeted him, "Sora, you've made it!" Sora bent down and smiled at Vivi, "You thought I wouldn't? I owe you and Eiko my life!" Ed then noticed the pointy-hatted boy and asked, "So, this is the kid that's going to help us find and save your friends?" Sora nodded, but then, Vivi ran behind Sora since he was a bit scared of Ed's alarming short fuse. Sora then said, "It's alright, Vivi. These are my friends, the Elric Brothers."

Vivi walked towards Edward and said, "H-hello, I'm...I-I'm...V-Vivi Orunitia." Vivi looked at Ed, but instead of an angry-looking teen, Vivi saw a peaceful and friendly face on Ed, who smiled and said, "Hey there Vivi, I've heard of what you did for my bodyguard. My name is Edward Elric, and I'm grateful for your help." Vivi shyly nodded and said, "I-it was nothing, really." Al then approached Vivi and said, "And I'm his younger brother, Alphonse, pleased to meet you." Vivi shook Al's hand, but then noticed the person he was shaking hands with was empty inside...

"W-where are you? I don't see your-"

Al stood up and said, "...I can explain on the way."

"Hold on you guys! We're coming!"

Donald yelled out to them while he and Goofy were running towards them. The two Genomes gasped for air as they finally reached their teammates. Vivi asked, "Sora, are those...Chimeras?" Sora nodded, "Yep, they're one...or two of a kind. You won't believe this, but these two are from another country where only chimeras live."

"SORA, THAT'S A SECRET!" Donald said as he knocked on Sora's head with his staff. Goofy then said to Donald, "Now Donald, Mr. Orunitia is a good friend of Sora's, so he has the right to know about us." Donald grunted and looked at Vivi, who was amazed at the duck's human-like attitude. Donald then introduced himself, "Hmm, from the looks of you, I'd say you're gifted with magic. Nice to meet a fellow mage, my name is Donald Duck." Vivi was then greeted by Goofy, "And I'm Goofy (ahyuk), pleased to meet you!" Vivi nodded, "Uh, it's nice to meet you to."

Ed then took his suitcase and said, "Nice to have the pleasantries done with! Now, before we look for Marcoh and the others, we need a place to stay. Sora, since you've been here before, you'll be responsible for finding a hotel for us." Sora then said, "Well, I wasn't allowed to leave the premises without my friends from Y. O. U. T. H. ...but I've heard enough news and stories about Destiny Islands to help you. First off, let's check the resort. I've always wanted to check it out, but the money...GEEZ! You wouldn't believe the prices!"

Sora led the Elrics, Vivi, and the Genomes down town while they were unknowingly being watched by a certain red-haired girl. "...so, THIS was where they kept him, gotta say, not half bad." Kairi said as she looked at the palm trees and the fantastic view of the beach from far away. She gazed at the cliff near the end of the beach, and as she kept walking, she saw a large (VERY large) building.

Kairi sighed and said, "This is just-...no, first things first, I have to find Sora!" Kairi walked down the stairs, and as she did, more wonders caught her eyes; she saw beautiful cabins, flowers, forests, and even the unique fruit that grew on the trees.

But as she looked at the fruit, there was a few palm trees that had a star shaped fruit on them...

"I don't believe it...it does exist!"

Kairi ran towards the tree and looked fondly at the fruit with eyes filled with wonder, "...the legendary fruit of destined bonds! The fruit that bonds people through love and friendship...The Paopu Fruit!"

Kairi looked around to make certain no one was looking...

Since no one was paying attention, Kairi rubbed her hands with dark intent, and ran to the tree. Kairi giggled as she looked up at the fruit. Then she jumped up on the tree and started climbing! Kairi was determined to grab one whole Paopu, as she was climbing; she thought to herself, _It's__ amazing what a girl could find on her quest to save her friend. The Paopu Fru__it can help me in my chances to be close to Sora. I just...need...to reach...a...little-_

"MADAM, WHAT ARE YOU DOING UP THERE?"

Kairi then realized that someone saw her, so she looked around for the one who spoke to her. She then noticed a tall and muscular man in an Amestris military suit looking at her. Kairi looked at the man's face, and saw a grim look, a strong chin, a curly yellow mustache...and a small pink star near one of his eyes. The soldier said to her, "It's dangerous to be up there, madam! You could fall and break your neck!"

"Hmm...WORTH IT!" Kairi said as she kept climbing.

The soldier then said, "Madam, it is too dangerous to be climbing up such a high tree!" Kairi replied, "But I have to get that fruit! The Paopu can help me get closer to him!" The soldier shook his head and said to her, "(sigh) Do you think the one you love will want you doing this? I'm certain he would want you to be safe! Please come down before he sees you doing this!" Kairi thought about it for a while and said, "...it is a little high...I guess I could try some other time. Alright, I'm coming down!"

Kairi tried coming back down, but then, her leg slipped and she fell!

Luckily, the soldier caught her! He then helped her down and said, "True love can be a hard quest to conquer, madam. But I'm sure your true love would be happy to see you as you are now, intelligent, proud, and respectful to the advice of elders. I believe you CAN win his heart someday, and if it gets too hard..." The soldier then knocked on the tree Kairi was on, and made one of the fruits come down to Kairi, who caught it. The soldier continued, "...there's always the Paopu Fruit."

The soldier bowed to Kairi, and continued down the stairs from the train station. Kairi smiled and thought to herself, _That guy's kinda odd...but it's rare to meet people like him. And Sora...he's kinda like him...even when his mind forgets, his heart never changed._ Kairi then looked at the blue sky, filled with seagulls and small clouds, and she thought about an old memory...

**KAIRI, SORA, TIME FOR DINNER!**

**Kairi, it's your grandma! Let's go!**

**Just a minute Sora, I'm working on something.**

**What is it?**

**I'm not telling!**

**Come on, show me!**

**Not yet! I'll show you tomorrow, alright?**

**...sure. But I can't leave you alone! Those bullies might-**

**It's OK, I can look after myself.**

**No you can't! I'm staying with you until those bullies don't bother you again.**

**Y-you will?**

**Yep! I'll protect you Kairi, that's a promise!**

"With sword in hand, the knight protects his princess..." Kairi looked at the Paopu Fruit and said, "...he's still a knight...(sniff)...even after that...(sniff)" Kairi wiped her eyes and continued downwards...

Meanwhile, Sora guides his friends to a large building, "It's been months since I've seen this place! Guys, welcome to the Rite of Spring, the largest hotel in Destiny Islands!" Sora opens the doors and shows his friends in, and as they walked in, they gazed in awe...

"Are those...dinosaur bones?"

Ed, Al, Donald, and Goofy looked around the enormous lobby, looking at all the dinosaur bones. Sora chuckled and said, "Oh yeah, I remember now, Riku told me once that this was also a museum for preserving dinosaur bones...yep...Riku knew allot..." Al approached Sora and patted his shoulder, "Sora, it's alright, we'll find Riku and save Rose and Eiko in a heartbeat! For now, let's just find our rooms."

After paying for their rooms, the group went upstairs to find their rooms while looking around the beautiful hotel.

And then, Kairi went in and went straight for the hotel manager. The manager noticed her in front of his desk and asked, "Hello miss, welcome to the Rite of Spring, can I help you?" Kairi then asked, "Yes you can. Did you see a suit of armor travel with two boys, a duck and a dog-man?" The manager answered, "Why yes, they checked themselves in for three nights." Kairi cheered and said, "I'd like the same deal, three nights in this hotel." The manager then said, "Oooookay...the cost will be-"

Just then, the gunslinger took out a gold bar and dropped it on the manager's desk.

"This is close enough to $300, right? Keep the change."

The manager swiftly gave Kairi her room key, and then he grabbed the bar and put it under the desk. Kairi then made her way upstairs while the manager met with another tourist. The manager asked, "Hello, welcome to the Rite of Spring, you got some gold?" The tourist replied, "W-why would I have gold?" The manager replied, "_**MAYBE 'CAUSE YOU'RE RICH! YOU WOULDN'T BE HERE UNLESS YOU'RE RICH!**_"

"Room 763...I guess this one's yours."

Sora unlocked the Elric's room and brought them in. As the brothers looked around they were amazed at the luxury and fine arts that were in their room. Donald and Goofy then brought in the luggage, and then Donald said, "Here are your bags kids. Now if you'll excuse us, Goofy and I need to check into our rooms." Sora looked at the Genomes and said, "Donald...I wanted to thank you for sticking with us. I know you want to find your friend, and I'm sorry we haven't made any progress-"

Donald stopped Sora and said, "Quit acting sentimental, Sora. Besides, I wanted to come here and find the president. And I wanted the help. You've been difficult, but friendship is never easy. You've tolerated me, Sora...and to be honest, I've never had a friend who tolerated me except for Goofy and him. We'll save them all Sora, my friend and yours." Sora and Donald shook hands, and Sora then said, "Thank you, Donald. See you tomorrow."

Donald smiled and accompanied Goofy to their room while Sora was approached by Al, who said, "You'd better get some sleep. Tomorrow will be a big day for all of us." Sora nodded, then he gave Ed a 'thumbs up' to Ed who smiled and started unpacking his bags...

Back in the next room, Vivi was already asleep. So Sora unpacked his bags and went into the bathroom.

He came back out after a shower and was in his pajamas. Then he went to his bed, hoping to dream of something that didn't involve any dark voices and stained-glass floors. He looked at Vivi as he slept on the couch and said, "Rose...Eiko...Riku...we're coming." And then, Sora went to sleep...

That night, at a nearby small island, Riku stood there, watching Destiny Islands with his hands resting on the hilt of his blade.

Riku closed his eyes and said, "...time to send the invitation."

End of Chapter 61

* * *

**Next Chapter, The invitation surprises the Elrics while Sora is met with a former ally...**

**Please Review  
**


	62. Chapter 62

**Last time, Sora, Donald, Goofy and the Elric Brothers, Edward and Alphgonse, arrived at Destiny Islands, the Family Resort in Aerugo which used to hide the secret Organization named Y. O. U. T. H. inside an orphanage, where the children were trained to be lethal assassins. After the group met with Vivi, they went to a hotel to rest for the night, they hoped to start searching for Marcoh, Eiko, Rose, and Riku on the next day after getting some rest.**

**Meanwhile, Kairi followed them with the intention of recreating the bond she had with Sora.  
**

**But as the group and Kairi rested in the hotel, Riku was preparing a little surprise for his old friend...  
**

**Warning: Kingdom Hearts and Fullmetal Alchemist are both licensed by Square-Enix. The secondary licenses for both franchises are Disney (Kingdom Hearts), Aniplex, Bones Inc., and Funimation (Fullmetal Alchemist). **

**PS: There will be spoilers.**

* * *

Fullmetal Kingdom: The Fanfic

Chapter 62: Assassination Attempt

_**(KA-THOOM)**_

An enormous explosion blew Ed and Al out of their beds and into a wall, and so Al rushed to his brother and tried to wake him, "Brother?! BROTHER, PLEASE, WAKE UP!" Ed started to recover, so he looked at Al and asked, "Ugh, What the hell just hit me?" Ed then noticed three shadowy figures standing where their window used to be. Ed then asked, "Any reason you guys couldn't use the front door?" The three figures drew out small swords and pointed them at Ed, who said, "Oh yeah, 'Urgent Business'. Can't wait for an ass kicking, huh?!"

The three figures attacked Ed, who pulled one of their arms down and kicked the first one in the gut! The second and third successfully stabbed Al, but were surprised when Al was still standing!

(BONK)

Al shoved the two figure's heads together, knocking them out swiftly!

Ed dusted his hands off and said, "Did we just get attacked by ninjas? ...and where's our bodyguard?" Just then, then door opened, and Donald ran in with Goofy, "WHAT JUST HAPPENED?! ARE YOU GUYS ALRIGHT?!" Goofy then asked, "Say, why isn't Sora here? He's usually here before us." Al then realized, "Brother...they're right! Sora would've heard that explosion!" Ed looked outside and said, "We came here looking for two people...Marcoh and Riku. Riku's got Sora's friends, so I can only guess that-"

"Riku sent us? You're very bright for a rich cretin of the Amestris Army."

Ed turned around and saw one of the black figures standing back up. And to Al's surprise, the two figures he knocked out earlier stood back up, and then they grabbed Al and threw him down while keeping him from moving! As Ed was startled by the men who took Al down, the figure before him said to him, "You Amestrians are all alike. First, you rush into our country, then you demand an expert, and one of us is thrown into the ring of fire instead of one of you. YOU who dare to call yourselves soldiers. And now, you humiliate us even more by keeping one of our own as your personal bodyguard, and bringing him back here, where we tore our relation with the military off like an unwanted scab!"

Ed then realized who the black figures were, "You guys are from Y. O. U. T. H. aren't you?" The black figure replied, "We are indeed from Y. O. U. T. H., Mr. Edward Elric." The Y. O. U. T. H. assassin then snapped his fingers, and out of nowhere, several more assassins appeared! Edward then said, "Impressive, you know my name. Then you should know I'm not the type to buy slaves. So what's the point of attacking us?"

The lead assassin replied, "You are a soldier..."

Then he unsheathes a long...bloody sword.

"...soldiers die all the time."

Minutes earlier, Sora and Vivi woke up after hearing the explosion, "Who's playing with Fireworks at 3 in the morning?!" Sora got out of his bed and then heard Al's voice calling out to Ed. Sora then said to Vivi, "Come on Vivi, let's get going!"

"I'm afraid you have other things to worry about."

Sora turned around and saw two assassins holding Vivi. Sora then recognized the two figures, "...?! Trent? ...Kale?! WHAT ARE YOU TWO DOING HERE?!"

"It's good to see your memories of us haven't completely vanished."

Another assassin came of the dark and took his mask off, revealing his face.

"EDGE, IS THAT YOU?!"

The white-haired assassin nods and said, "Yep, you're still the same Sora we looked after. Personally, I was hoping to see the ladies of this joint. You're lucky we came here just for you." Sora then asked, "Where were you, Edge?! I was looking for you and the others since the orphanage was burned to the ground!" Edge answered, "We were just like you, lost and afraid. I remember how the soldiers cornered us-"

"That was Basc Grand and his men, wasn't it?!" Sora asked. Edge turned around and asked, "Whoa, how did you know that?!" Sora replied, "Tidus told me the same thing when I found him. Grand might be the one to blame for what's happened to Riku and our home!" Edge scratched his head and said, "So you suspected the Brigadier General? Hmm, Riku does have a natural hatred for the Amestris Government. Maybe...NAH, it's too soon, there's no proof of that." Sora nodded and said, "I know, I suspect he's hiding more than his anger issues. A man like that can be capable of something like that...maybe even more."

Edge walked towards Sora and said, "Accusations like that'll get you in trouble...I'm so happy for you!" Sora asked, "Uh...what?" Edge explained, "You have a reason to hate Amestris! And now we can work together and defeat Amestris!"

"W-wait, what?! No, I can't do that!"

Edge backed away when he heard Sora's words. So Edge wondered, "You won't help us fight Amestris? WHY THE HELL NOT?!" Sora answered, "Because...my friends live there and...So does the family that looks after me. It's odd, Edge, the people I work with and protect aren't like Grand. I actually found good people in Amestris, good honest people, like the Elric Brothers, Colonel Mustang, Miss Hawkeye-" Edge interrupts Sora, "THEY WERE GOOD PEOPLE?! But look at you; you're still being used by the military! And then there's Mustang...the Flame Alchemist, right?" Sora nodded, "Yeah, the same."

Edge then explained, "Thanks...anyway, Mustang isn't what I would call a 'nice' guy. Not after he finished two innocent people off after they were mercilessly attacked by one of their patients." Sora was shocked when he heard what Edge said, "...what?" Edge patted Sora on the shoulder and said, "I'm sorry, dude. That really did happen during the so-called war." Sora remembered, "You mean...the Ishbal War?" Edge nodded, "Soldiers from every part of Amestris came to Ishbal...and wiped half the population out of existence." Sora shook his head, "NO, the Ishbalins fought back, they couldn't have lost the war that easily!" Edge then said, "It's only a war when the two sides have an equal chance of winning...the Ishbalins didn't have Alchemy, all they had was their god...who just stood by while his people were killed one by one. It wasn't a war, Sora, it was a bloodbath!"

As Sora felt troubled by the news, one of the assassins said to Edge, "Sir, we can't waste time. Riku is waiting." the assassin's words surprised Sora, "Riku?! He sent you?!" Edge nodded, "Yeah, total buzz-kill; sorry about this Sora, but you'll be coming with us." Sora then realized, "So you guys ARE responsible for the explosion! And Ed-…you're going to kill him!" Edge replied, "Well you ARE one of us. We can't let Amestris get away with sacrificing our own brothers and sisters anymore. We're putting our foot down, and tonight, the Fullmetal will be the first to get stomped!"

Sora then asked, "...Edge, I also have to ask you...if you and the others are wearing the Slave Crown." Edge felt his hair and replied, "Nope. Not the headgear type, it'd mess up the ladies favorite category, if you know what I mean." Sora then said, "So you're all doing this out of free will...you know, he has my friends." Edge nodded, "...yes, I do. Like I said...I'm sorry."

(PUNCH)

Sora then went down after Edge punched him in the gut. Vivi was shocked when he saw what the young assassin did to his friend. But after he picked Sora up on his shoulder, Edge turned to Vivi and said, "We only came for him. Leave the boy here." The assassins drop Vivi and swiftly disappear. Vivi then tries to stop Edge by standing in his way of the door. Vivi yells, "L-let him go!" Edge shook his head and patted Vivi on the head, "Don't worry, he's going to be fine, and so will you when he returns." Vivi felt confused, but before he could say anything, Edge was already gone!

Back in the Elric Brothers' room, Ed, Al, Donald, and Goofy were starting to lose their breath from the exhausting battle with the countless assassins. Al asked, "Why are you guys after Sora?!" The lead assassin replies, "He is one of us, and he deserves to be free from you Amestrian scum."

Just then, one of the assassins came behind the leader and said, "Sir, Edge has No. 516 in his grasp." The leader turned towards the Elrics and said, "Well, I guess our business is finished." The lead assassin then pulled out a small ball and threw it at the Elrics...

(BAMF)

A large smoke screen clouded the room, and Ed and Al were unable to see the assassins leave.

Donald coughed, "We're not losing him, FIRE!"

"_**D**__**ONALD NO!**_"

(KA-BLAM)

The assassins stopped for a minute when they heard the explosion. One of the assassins asked the leader, "Didn't you just throw a gas ball at them?" The leader replied, "Of course I did! It must have been something THEY did! Yes, THAT's it!"

(CLAP)

Just then, a wall came before the assassins, who wondered how it came...

"Where did you take him?"

The assassins looked behind them and found Edward, standing before them with a peeved look on his face. The leader then commented, "It takes a Transmutation Circle to forge such a barricade. Your skills truly are legendary, Fullmetal." Ed smiled and said, "Funny, I never used a Transmutation Circle." The leader was shocked when Ed told him, "WHAT?!" To demonstrate his skill, Ed clapped his hands and formed a small katana blade from the ground!

The assassins wondered,

"No Transmutation Circles?!"

"But alchemists need those to transmute weapons!"

"What is he?!"

"He's just a boy, so how can he..."

The leader then said, "Your skills reward you, Fullmetal. Your bodyguard-...no, OUR comrade is being taken to the small island nearby. But your skills will not reward you with a reunion! YOU WILL DIE HERE!"

Ed readied himself...

And the assassins lunged at him...

And just when the first one came at him, the Fullmetal ducked and grabbed the leg of the assassin, and then he span the assassin and threw him into the others! Then, the next couple of assassins attacked Ed with their blades, which Ed defends with his blade! They kept hacking and slashing at Ed, trying to make him loose his focus, but to their amazement, Ed wasn't losing his touch! He kept defending until a chance came, and he took it by taking the first swordsman down with a powerful kick!

"YOU'LL PAY FOR THAT!"

The assassin brought his sword down on Ed's leg, intending to lop it off! But his blade broke the instant it made contact with Ed's leg! The assassin then realized, "SIR, HIS LEG-" Ed then grabbed the assassin and threw him at his leader...

...who plunged his blade into the thrown comrade!

Ed was shocked, so he asked, "What the hell are you?! Wasn't he one of your own?!" The leader replied, "As my brothers say, 'you live by the blade.'" The leader then took off his mask and revealed his face. The left half of his face was tattooed with blue and black marks, his hair was a whitish-blond, and his eyes were Heterochromic, blue on one contact, and green on the other. The leader then introduced himself, "I am Basnique of Y. O. U. T. H. Class B-M – No. 47. _And you will not survive this night!_"

Basnique then pulled out a few small pieces of paper and said, "Your skills are well known to me, Fullmetal, you're talent in alchemy is the only shock. But much like a masterpiece, you've still got some crooked edges. And by the time Sora converts to OUR side, you'll be a work of art, courtesy of me." The strange assassin then revealed his paper to Ed, there were Transmutation Circles drawn on them!

The pictures were tossed in the air, and Ed wasn't sure of what was happening. Basnique clapped his hands, grabbed the paper with the Transmutations on them, and thrust them onto his blade, which then became a blade of fire! "Your alchemy won't help you now!"

Ed laughed, "Who needs Alchemy when you have-" Ed swiftly transmutes the plate on his automail arm into an Arm-Blade, "-A KICK-ASS BLADE?!" Basnique charged at Edward, but he swung his blade towards Ed's neck! Luckily, the Fullmetal Alchemist ducked in time to launch a counter attack! But Basnique caught his fist and asked, "Why aren't you using your blade to kill me?" The assassin then kicked Ed into the air, and threw his sword at him!

(KA-TANG)

Suddenly, a shield knocked the blade away! "WHAT-?!" Basnique looked and saw Goofy, who caught the shield! Ed was then caught by Al, who placed him back down and said, "Brother, go after Sora! We'll stall these guys!" Donald and Vivi then came out and shot Fire spells at the other assassins! But Ed said, "Are you nuts?! These guys are pros! They'll kill you!" Donald then said, "Well WE can't go after YOUR bodyguard, can we?!"

Vivi grabbed Ed by the sleeve and said, "Wait, I'm going with you! I have to save Eiko to!" Ed then said to Vivi, "Look kid, it's too dangerous. You're still a kid, and you have your life to live! I'll bring Sora and Eiko back, alright?" Vivi slowly nodded, "D-don't forget Rose, promise?" Ed rubbed Vivi's hat and said, "Yeah, I promise. Like they say, 'No man left behind' right?"

Ed then ran towards the docks while Basnique and his men cornered Al, Vivi, Donald, and Goofy, who were ready for them.

Donald roared, "**BRING IT**** AAAAAAAAAAWWWWWNah****!****!**"

End of Chapter 62

* * *

**Next Chapter, the Fullmetal Alchemist fights his way through assassins while a message is given to the Keyblade Master...**

**Please Comment.  
**


	63. Chapter 63

**Last time, Sora was taken by his former Y. O. U. T. H. comrades while Edward & Alphonse Elric were targeted for execution by the second party of assassins! With the aid of the young mage, Vivi, the court magician, Donald & the captain of the Fantasian guard, Goofy, the brothers fought back against their attackers. As the number of assassins decreased, their commander, Basnique, challenged Edward with his own Alchemy. However, Alphonse told his older brother to rescue Sora while he and the others take care of the remaining assassins****...  
**

**Warning: Kingdom Hearts and Fullmetal Alchemist are both licensed by Square-Enix. The secondary licenses for both franchises are Disney (Kingdom Hearts), Aniplex, Bones Inc., and Funimation (Fullmetal Alchemist). **

******PS: There will be spoilers.**  


* * *

Fullmetal Kingdom: The Fanfic

Chapter 63: Friends No More

Sora woke up on a beach, where two assassins were carrying him. "This...this is the island where Riku and I played together as kids!" The assassins then took him further towards the island, and just like that, Sora's vision went black!

Minutes later, Edward came to the island via small boat. He made it to the docks and jumped off the boat, then he looked around and said, "Alright Sora, where are you?" Ed checked the porch, the treehouse, even near the large Paopu Trees, but he couldn't find his bodyguard. Ed then went into a small shack, and as he looked around, he thought to himself, _It's funny, I'm saving my bodyguard, the gu__y who protects me. The way things are going, it's like our roles have reversed. He'd better thank me when this is over, he's always been acting like a damn parent, it's about time he acted more like an assassin than a-_

_...strange, he __**does**__ kinda remind me of__ mom._

**Ed, you know better than to scribble on the floor!**

**Oh my, that's Alchemy! Did your dad teach you that?**

**It's wonderful, you truly DO take after your father. My little geniuses!**

**Make sure to put the books back where you found them!**

**Yes, once he comes home, he'll tell you so.**

**What's the matter with you two?**

**Come on Ed, even you? My little man, what could be so bad?**

She kept her eyes out there, waiting...and yet she never stopped looking out for us. The more Al and me learned, the more she smiled. She's always been there to motivate us and cheer us on...unlike dad! Dad never even-...mom...

**Your dad...he left us...money...I never...touched it...**

**I was saving it for you boys...use it...take care...of each other...**

**Edward, could you be a sweetheart and transmute something for your mother?**

**...y-yes I know...a ring of flowers...would be nice...**

**...you see...your...father...always...made...them...for...me...**

Ed was lost in thought, and then a tear fell from his eye...

_Mom...I WON'T FAIL AGAIN!_

Ed ran up the stairs and came back out, where he came to a bridge to a small island. There, he saw a beautiful view of the ocean. And for a moment, he felt at peace...

Just then, Ed heard voices coming from somewhere! Ed looked around and noticed a small hole near the waterfall. Ed clenched his fist and said, "Hang on you idiot, I'm coming!"

Inside the island, Sora started to hear voices, cheering. It didn't take long for Sora to remember the voices...every voice that cheered was the voice of an assassin brought up from Y. O. U. T. H. Then one voice in particular yelled out, "SILENCE!" And so, the chamber went silent. Sora asked, "Riku, is that you?!" The bag that covered his head was taken off, and sitting before him, was his old friend, Riku.

"Not happy to see me?"

The assassins then tied Sora's wrists together, to keep him from doing anything. Then Sora asked, "Enough of these games Riku! Why did kidnap-" Before Sora could finish, Riku asked, "But Sora, I thought you liked games. Or...are you too 'cool' to play them now that you've become a pawn of the military?" Sora answered, "I'm nobody's pawn, Riku! But YOU seem to be the only one who thinks I am!" Riku shook his head and said, "And who said I did?! The reason our brothers and sisters are here is because they knew, they understood Amestris's need for us, THEY KNOW WE WERE SENT TO OUR DEATHS FOR SELFISH DESIRES!"

The chamber was again filled with cheers, but Sora asked, "So what do you think they desire, huh? Did they desire some help, or do YOU think they desired us to just throw our lives away?" Riku answered, "THEY DESIRED US! We're weapons, no souls, no second thoughts, no giving a DAMN! How clear do I have to be to reach you?!" Sora yelled out, "Listen to yourself, you were NEVER this hotheaded! You planned your way, you saw the flaws, you were an inspiration to all of us! Why are you loosing your cool now?! Did you think I abandoned you and the others? I went with the Elrics because it was the only way I could go out into the world and look for you!"

Riku smirked, "Hmph, spare me the excuses! I bet that you've already forgotten about us and found some new friends. Friends like her!" Just then, Two assassins stepped into the light with Eiko tied up and gagged! She recognized him and tried to run to him, but the assassins held her.

"You've become involved with more people every day, and it's breaking Namine's heart!" What Riku said startled Sora, "N-Namine?! You found her?" Riku nodded, "Yeah, and she had one hell of a heartbreak when she heard. Y'know, just because you want to see her...sorry. It doesn't go both ways. To tell you the truth, she can't even look at your face!" Sora shook his head, "R-Riku...you can't be serious. It makes no sense!" Riku smirked, "I knew you wouldn't understand..."

Riku pointed his sword at Sora and explained, "You want a translation? OK, how's this...**Your friend Namine...HATES YOU!** You abandoned her for Genomes and Alchemists, and she hates you for it!" Sora yelled, "What's wrong with you?! I never abandoned anyone!" Riku replied, "Maybe you did, maybe you didn't. It's not important to me anymore. So do yourself a favor...GO HOME. Take your friends and beat it! Live your life with the enemy. Make the most of whatever time you have left, and leave Namine to me. I'll care for her, unlike you, who's got enough friends to worry about."

"_**Especially a friend who's been eager to KICK YOUR ASS!**_"

(BAM!)

(KER-SMASH!)

A cannonball shot right through the entrance and into a wall, frightening the assassins. Riku looked at the person who came through the entrance and said, "Nice introduction...**Edward Elric!**"

Edward walked into the chamber and looked at Sora, who was just as surprised as everyone else. Ed then said to Sora, "So these are your 'brothers & sister' huh? Gotta say, THEY GOT A FUNNY WAY OF SHOWING THEIR LOVE! This dunce was looking all over for you guys, and THIS is how you repay him?! By kidnapping children and tying him up like a rag-doll while one of your own points at him and laughs?! YOU PEOPLE ARE THE WORST SCUM IN THE COUNTRY! You think he's selfish?! HA! Look at him! He went through Hell to rescue Tidus! He even went so far as to poison himself to save me! ME! An alchemist who destroyed his brother's body! If anyone's selfish, it's your bleach-haired dumbass leader over there! He acts like he's right, but ask yourselves this, how can he be right when the proof of Sora's loyalty is sitting right here?! **HE CAME FOR YOU, ALL OF YOU!** And if Namine was a friend to Sora, then she could NEVER be friends with a pacifist like this A-hole!"

"SHUT UP!" Riku roared. He then looked at Sora and said, "He doesn't know anything, does he?! Namine made ME her guardian, and if you want to see her, you'll have to GO THROUGH ME!" Riku then jumps over Sora and tries to chop Ed in half, unaware that Ed has already transmuted a blade to defend himself! Ed blocked Riku's sword, but Sora still begged, "Leve him alone Riku! Please! We're friends, remember?!" Riku looked at Sora while he pushed his blade further at Ed and said, "Please Sora...since when have you cared about me? Namine's not the only one who's sick of looking at you...**SO AM I!**"

"THEN TAKE YOUR MEDS!" Ed said as he threw dirt at Riku's face! Riku kicked Ed away and kicked Sora away. Sora begged again, "Edward, get Eiko out of here!" Ed then said, "-And leave you here with these bastards? THEY WOULDN'T KNOW FAMILY IF IT CAME AND SLAPPED THEM IN THE FACE! I'm not leaving you, OR the girls! We're getting off this stupid island together!"

Riku charges at Edward and yelled, "I'm gonna enjoy skewering you, you stupid brat!" Ed caught his blade with his automail hand and said, "You're the idiot! Beating up someone younger than you! Where I come from, we call people like you 'COCKY'!" the white-haired assassin pulled his blade away and started swinging his sword at Ed, who just kept dodging, "How dare you! You're just a soldier, pawn of the military! You were stupid enough to come here! Only 'cocky' brats like you think they stand a chance!"

Sora tried to loosen the ropes keeping his arms tied, and then he asked, "RIKU, STOP IT!" But Riku kept attacking Ed, who then said, "It's no use, Sora! This guy's got no regrets! He doesn't remember you anymore, THAT'S the problem!" Insulted, Riku attacked Ed even more, THIS time, targeting the vital spots. Riku then said, "Your automail's been your handicap, rely in it too much...and the hand takes your cap!" Riku then trips Ed and brought his blade down towards his automail leg! But Ed clapped his hands and transmuted Riku's sword into a bouncing punching bag with Ed's face on it, which he repeatedly punched to hit Riku's face!

Riku backed away, fixed his nose, and got punched in the face by Ed! Riku countered with an uppercut to Ed's chin! The two then started punching and kicking one another. But while they were trading blows, Sora heard someone from behind, "When I release you, grab the kid and run!" Sora recognized the voice, "...K-Kairi?!"

"SHHH! Just be quiet, alright, you're almost free!" As Kairi untied the knot, an assassin silently raised his blade at Kairi...

"LOOK OUT!" Sora grabs Kairi and blocks the attack!

The assassins heard the clanging of the swords and saw Kairi kick the assassin away! Kairi and Sora then noticed everyone looking at them. "Great, guess we'll have to do Plan B..." Kairi grabbed Sora by the shirt, and miraculously tossed him right at the assassins holding Eiko!

The assassins jumped towards Sora, but he knocked them away in an instant! Sora takes the napkin out of Eiko's mouth, and she yelled, "HOW LONG WERE YOU GONNA KEEP ME WAITING?!" Sora nodded, "I know, I know, I'm sorry, alright? Just let me untie those ropes!" More assassins rushed towards Sora, but were quickly taken down by Kairi, who said to Sora, "While I'm holding them off, you get that kid out!" Sora then asked, "Not yet, I have to find Rose to! Riku's got her!"

Just then, Sora was knocked down by a blunt object, which was actually Edward, who was tossed by Riku. As Sora and Ed came to their senses, Riku said, "You're pretty popular with the ladies, aren't you, Sora? Can't you except the princess I gave you and live with it?" Kairi then realized, "Let me guess, the other one's not here?" Riku replied, "You're a smart girl. It's amazing what a hostage can bring to your doorstep, isn't it? Lucky for me, Sora, the little mage's news about your girlfriend was enough to bring you right to me."

Sora pushed Ed off and asked, "Where is she, Riku?! WHERE IS ROSE?!" Riku answered, "I was planning on killing her in front of you to show you how much you matter to us, but with the way Namine was feeling, I couldn't do that, not to her. So I gave your girlfriend and her kind to a reliable friend. Someone who's better than you in every way!" Sora stood up and grabbed Riku by his shirt, "WHERE IS SHE?!" Riku just laughed and slapped Sora away. Then he said, "You're an orphan again, and THIS time, you'll loose everything. Not just that girl, but everyone here AND IN AMESTRIS! And when your hands are bare, without a single compassionate hold on them, I'll take you to Namine, the only person that can decide whether you can live with her, or die alone."

Ed then surprised Riku with a kick to the chest, a kick across the face, and a fist for his face! As Riku stood with a dizzy expression, Ed transmuted a spear and said to Sora, "We're leaving! NOW!" Ed roared as he ran to the exit and took down every assassin in his way. Eiko looked at Sora and said, "He's right Sora, we have to go! So pull that rabbit you call an 'Avenger' out of your hat-sized hand and get swinging!" Sora looked at Eiko and said, "I'd like to, but I don't have the Avenger!"

Suddenly, a hooded figure appeared before Sora.

Sora, Eiko, and Kairi were cautious, but the hooded figure said, "Rose is safe, for now. I've kept an eye on her ever since Riku took her. She was given to someone...someone you've met before. Keep in mind, there are some secrets even I am not aware of, like where that man took her. But his appearance should sound familiar to you..."

"White lab coat, fitting a scientist."

"Dark-tanned skin, like an Ishbalin."

"White hair, unnatural for a young man."

"Eyes, golden with the sense of darkness."

"And a voice that can deceive the fool."

Sora's eyes widened with shock as he realized who the hooded man was talking about. Sora then said the name of the hooded man's suspect, "...**Terranzis Xehanort.**"

The hooded man nodded and handed Sora a weapon...his Avenger! Sora took the blade and asked, "I have questions...but I can only ask one. Will I find her?" The hooded man patted Sora on the shoulder and said, "...you are going to find her. I know you will. I'll help you find her Sora, Rose AND Namine...that's a promise. Believe in your friends, believe in yourself. Besides, the Elrics are pretty good once you get to know them. Donald and Goofy aren't that bad either. And Kairi...it's good to see you again." Kairi was a bit surprised when the hooded man spoke to her.

Sora nervously smiled and said, "I don't know who you are...but I'm grateful...thank you. " The hooded man stood back up and said, "Remember Sora, you don't always need a weapon to fight. You don't understand, I know. But someday, when you are challenged by a powerful enemy, with words and ways more painful than anything you felt or heard, you will."

"_**I don't need a weapon. My friends are my power.**_ These words will guide your heart and make you more than just an assassin. They will make you a true warrior."

"AM I FIGHTING BY MYSELF, OR ARE YOU GUYS GOING TO HELP ME?!"

Ed's yelling called the attention of Sora, Eiko, and Kairi, so Kairi nodded and took Eiko by the hand and ran to Ed to help. Sora was about to thank the hooded man, but to his surprise, the hooded man was gone! Ed called out to him again, so Sora snapped out of his amazement, picked up his Keyblade and ran to Ed's side.

End of Chapter 63

* * *

**Next Chapter, a vicious adversary arrives to demolish what remains of Riku's army...**

**Please Comment.  
**


	64. Chapter 64

**Last time, Edward followed Sora to a distant island, where the Keybearer himself was held by his former allies, the Y. O. U. T. H. Assassins. Riku then appeared before him, telling him that Namine was distraught over his new friends, the Elric Brothers, and that she hated him for it. Before Riku could continue, Edward broke inside the assassin's secret hideaway and battled the silver-haired swordsman.  
**

**And then, Kairi quietly arrived and untied Sora's ropes, freeing him from the assassins. The two then save Eiko and make for the exit when suddenly, a mysterious cloaked figure came before Sora, and told him that somewhere out there, Rose is being held by Xehanort. The cloaked figure then gave Sora his Avenger and said to him that he doesn't always require a weapon to fight. Edward then signaled the group, and with that, the trio follows Edward outside...  
**

**Warning: Kingdom Hearts and Fullmetal Alchemist are both licensed by Square-Enix. The secondary licenses for both franchises are Disney (Kingdom Hearts), Aniplex, Bones Inc., and Funimation (Fullmetal Alchemist). **

******PS: There will be spoilers.**

* * *

Fullmetal Kingdom: The Fanfic

Chapter 64: Cold Blood

Back at the Rite of Spring Hotel, Alphonse had just defeated the last remaining number of assassins while Donald and Goofy were playing 'Whack-A-Mole' with the assassins they were facing. Al then turned to an exhausted Vivi and said, "Good job Vivi, I think this was the last of them!" Vivi then noticed someone remaining, "Alphonse, look!"

Al looked, and saw Basnique, who was barely standing after his fight against the heroes. Basnique then said, "Despite your best efforts, Alphonse Elric, your older brother will still meet his end at the hands of our leader. And when he falls, Amestris will be the next victim!" Basnique then pulled out a small smoke-bomb and used it to blanket Al's vision, giving him a chance to escape!

Al looked around for the tattooed menace, but he was nowhere to be found!

Al looked at his friends and said, "We need to head for that island! Ed and Sora are in danger!"

"Not really, they're just getting out."

Al turned around and noticed one of the assassins looking at the island. The assassin continued, "...they got the kid with them and-WHOA, BABE ALERT!" Donald then asked, "HEY! Concentrate, ya jerk! Who are you anyway?" The assassin replied, "Me? My name is Edge, Edge Geraldine. And you guys did a hell of a job wiping out my boys and girls out of the field."

Al then asked, "So you're one of them?" Edge nodded, "Yes, I am. Y. O. U. T. H. has, and always will be, my family...as will my friends. Sora, he was just as important to us as he was to you. And seeing him with another family was enough to break Riku's spirit and pride. Strange, isn't it? You've heard about Riku, right?" Al and the others nodded, so Edge continued, "Then you know by now that he was never reckless and out of control. He was actually one of the best strategists Y. O. U. T. H. ever trained. So why did he become like this? My guess is as good as yours..."

Al walked up to Edge and asked, "Aren't you allied with him?" Edge replied, "...I was. But I've seen the way Sora was around you and the little guy, it was...normal. He seemed to be happy and well cared for, even when he was in Xenotime." Goofy asked, "Wait, YOU were in Xenotime?!" Edge nodded, "Yup! I was watching over Sora ever since the orphanage was burned to a crisp. I watched over him in Traverse Town during the giant armored monster's assault, I even saw him defend your older brother from that Red Water dosage in Xenotime, and I was even MORE surprised when he risked his life for that Ishbalin girl and those funny-looking kids in Lior. Then it hit me...he never was treated like an assassin...he was treated like an equal."

Al then crossed his arms and said, "Of course. He's a good person, and despite everything he went through in Y. O. U. T. H., he never stopped protecting us. Brother...he was irritated by Sora's heroics, but really, he never knew how to thank him, OR repay him for almost dying for him. In a way, Sora was more than a bodyguard, he was our hero." Edge looked back at the island and said, "...he never changes...that pissed me off so much when-"

Al noticed Edge's shocked look and asked, "W-what is it?!"

Back on the island, Sora, Ed and their friends were cornered by countless assassins! Sora looked at Ed and said, "I'll stall them while you two get Eiko out of here!" Ed argued, "Oh, so you can die a hero?! Like hell! We're getting out of here, ALL of us!"

"Correction, _**NONE**_ of you are getting out of here."

The Fullmetal and the Keybearer turned around and saw twenty soldiers pointing their guns at them and the assassins! Kairi then smirked, "Hey Ed, when did you get fired?" Ed replied, "(sarcastic laugh) Very funny." Sora then asked, "But Ed, there has to be a reason these men are pointing guns at us. Did you...uh...get back at anyone that called you something relative to the size of a mud-baby?"

"I-KILL-YOU!" Ed said as he reached for Sora's throat.

"Yes, do us all a favor and kill that defective **knife.**"

Sora then remembered the voice; he looked around and saw the one who spoke earlier...

"Basque Grand, the Iron Blood Alchemist."

Grand stepped forth and looked at Edward, "It's a good thing I kept an eye on you, troublesome worms. Now that you led us to your little playground, we can finally exterminate the vermin of Y. O. U. T. H. Ah, Edward Elric, if you're here, then it's only a matter of time until trouble rears its ugly head!" Ed then said, "HEY, IT'S NOT LIKE I'M PICKING FIGHTS WITH RANDOM STRANGERS-"

"Why are you here Grand?" Sora asked.

Grand looked at Sora and said, "So...the knife still talks out of order? Disgusting tool, you will talk when I allow you to-." Sora asked again, "WHY ARE YOU HERE?!" Grand was enraged by Sora's disobedience, but he smirked and answered, "Hmph, you should've known by now, 'knife', I came here to destroy the defects." Sora then said, "D-destroy the-YOU DON'T MEAN-!" Grand nodded, "Correct, these assassins are worthless traitors..." Grand then pulled out two metal gauntlets with strange ruins written on them, wore them on his hands, and continued, "_...and I am here __**AS THEIR EXECUTIONER.**_"

Grand then punched the ground, and to Sora, Edward, Kairi, and Eiko's shock, six cannons came out of the ground and shot down a group of assassins! "Amazing, isn't it, 'knife'? My alchemic gift allows me to forge weapons out of thin air, unlike your client, who can only summon one cannon at a time!" After Grand's cruel attack, another group of assassins tried to avenge their fallen friends, "W-WAIT, DON'T-!" Sora tried to reach out to them, to try and save the assassins, but they were already shot down!

Sora watched as his brothers and sisters from Y. O. U. T. H. were shot to death, and fell to the beach, staining the salt water with their blood. Sora finally grabbed one of the assassins and said, "Stop, don't go, I'm begging you!" The assassin pushed Sora away and charged at Grand, but he, along with his group, were killed instantly!

"See Sora? THIS is what your military does!"

Sora turned around and saw Riku charge at Grand! Grand fired his cannons at the white-haired assassin, but to his surprise, Riku lept over the cannon-fire and attacked Grand, who defended himself with his gauntlets! As he pushed his blade on the brigadier general's gauntlets, Riku said to Sora, "They use us, and then they sacrifice us! If you remain with them, Namine will continue to suffer!"

Kairi rushes to a nearby boat and yells, "I've found us a ride, hurry and get in!" Eiko runs to her while Ed follows from behind. But Ed realized that Sora was still watching Riku battle Grand. Ed called out, "Sora, come on! We gotta go!" Sora ignored Ed and said to Riku, "I know you're with Xehanort! I need to know where Rose is, Riku! Please!" Riku asked, "So, you're abandoning Namine?" Sora shook his head, "I want to find her to! I want to find everyone and save them! I have to make it up to them for letting them get captured! **Don't you get it Riku? I DON'T WANT TO SEE ANYONE DIE BECAUSE OF ME!**"

"Sora..."

Grand then kicked Riku away and transmuted one of the palm-trees into a large machine gun! Riku then said, "...you're really stupid, you know that? You think words are going to restore our friendship?" Sora replied, "If it means saving everyone...yes. Besides, I never said that I was allied with THIS guy!" And as Grand shot another blast at Riku, Sora rushed in the way and batted the cannonball back at Grand's men! Grand yelled, "YOU'LL PAY FOR THAT, KNIFE!" Grand then created two cannons and shot at both assassins!

Sora was even more infuriated, so he said, "_**YOU SHOULD REALLY STOP CALLING ME THAT!**_" Sora then noticed his blade was glowing red...

Just then, Kairi pushed Sora and Riku out of the way!

"K-KAIRI?!"

The cannonball came into contact with Kairi, and blew her into the beach...

"As I expected, you would defy your masters to protect a traitor! And now, you stand as one of them. This is reason enough to arrest you and have you executed alongside your fellow brethren! A set of Knives always comes in sets, so it's no surprise that you would align with them again. Believe me, 'knife', I'd rather have you arrested for your betrayal, but THIS...this is just too sweet to pass up." Grand then pulled out a different type of gauntlet, one that covers his entire hand...

He then threw it in the air, clapped his hands, and the gauntlet slipped itself on Grand's right hand. Ed watched as Grand's gauntlet changed his clothes into metal...then into a strange armor...and finally, into a massive form, filled with guns and cannons pointing at Sora...

Kairi washed up on the beach, so Sora ran to her to see if Kairi was alright, "Kairi! Show me a sign, PLEASE! Wake up, come on wake-" but to Sora's horror, her pulse was already gone...

Tears fell as Sora cradled Kairi's body in his arms.

Riku looked at Sora and said, "...meet me at the Mines inside the mountains of Risembool. If you want to see your friend again, go there. I'll be waiting for you after you wipe the floor with that murdering bastard...if you beat me; I'll tell you where Xehanort took Rose. And maybe...just maybe...I might tell you where Namine is..."

Riku then looked at Kairi and said, "Thank you." Riku vanished, and Sora was alone.

"DIE YOU FILTHY KNIFE!"

The Brigadier General then shot everything at Sora...

"FIRE!"

But to Grand's shock, his cannonballs and bullets were instantly engulfed in flame and incinerated!

As Sora watched the flame, Ed grabbed Sora by the arm and pulled him towards the boat! Sora pushed Ed away and tried to reach Kairi, but Ed punched him and said, "We have to run NOW!" Ed then took Sora and headed for the boat, but Sora kept reaching out to Kairi, "_LET GO, I HAVE TO SAVE HER, I CAN'T JUST LEAVE HER! YOU CAN'T DO THIS, LET ME GO! PLEASE! I HAVE TO SAVE H__ER!_

"_**KAAAAAAAAAAIIIIIRIIIIIIIIIII III!**__"_

Ed finally managed to pull Sora into the boat, where Eiko was waiting. She and Ed then started using the ores to move the boat away from the island...

"The red haired girl...she's..."

Edge couldn't finish his sentence, instead he said, "...your brother and Sora are safe." Al then asked, "What about Kairi?! Tell me Edge, WHAT HAPPENED?!" Edge replied, "...she...she pushed Sora out of the way...then the bullets..." Al looked at the island with a terrified look, "...no...no..." Al then ran to the docks to check on Sora and Edward.

The boat arrived on the beach, and Al approached Sora, who was staring into space with tears coming from his eyes. Ed came out and said, "...Let's get back to the hotel. We'll need to get some sleep if we're going to find Marcoh." Al then asked, "Kairi was there, wasn't she?" Ed clenched his fist and answered, "She was..." But Ed continued to the Hotel while Eiko came out and saw Vivi, who ran to her and hugged her tightly!

Ekio yelled, "Hey you pointy-hatted punk! Put me down!" Vivi complied and released her. Vivi then said, "You're alright...I-I'm so happy...(sniff) I-I thought-" Eiko smiled at the little black mage and said, "Just stop thinking for now...I'm OK, thanks to Sora. Speaking of which, aren't you coming out of that boat, 'Spiky'?"

Sora looked at Eiko, but he didn't say anything to her. Instead, he came out of the boat and walked by them, without even a smile...

Vivi tried to say something to Sora, but Eiko stopped him, knowing that it will only make things worse for the broken-hearted hero.

While the heroes were grieving, deep in the town, Basnique was hiding in the alley, where he was recuperating from the battle. The tattooed assassin looked up to the starry sky and noticed some storm clouds coming. He said to himself, "...curse those Elrics! CURSE THEM! Hmph, it doesn't matter. It's only a matter of time before Grand wipes them AND Riku off the face of the Earth! I'll bet by now-"

"You know the Elric Brothers and the Iron Blood?"

Basnique turned around to see who was talking to him. The person he saw was a tall, white-haired man wearing sunglasses, a yellow coat and white pants. Basnique replied, "Heh, so you've heard of them? Yeah, I know them, but the one you should be rooting for is Basque Grand, the Iron Blood Alchemist himself. You see, he's got some Y. O. U. T. H. assassins waiting to replace the recent turncoats. Courtesy of me, thanks to me, you'll be seeing a brand new Amestris-"

Before Basnique could finish, the tall man grabbed him by the face and shoved him to a wall! The tall man then said, "I don't need a 'brand new Amestris', I need justice wrought onto the sinful souls of the damned. Damned souls like yourself who thinks that selling out his brethren would make the world appreciate you."

Basnique argued, "Hey, I didn't want to turn them in! They acted out on their own; they were supposed to be emotionless, stealthy, prepared to die for their country! But ever since No. 516 came into our place, everyone was acting like a bunch of school girls! THEY FORGOT WHO THEY WERE, AND I WANTED TO TEACH THEM A LESSON!"

"How, by destroying their home and selling them to the same people who made my people endangered?"

The tattooed assassin was surprised, but before he could ask what the tall man was talking about, lightning stroke and thunder was sound, and the light from the lightning revealed the tall man's startling skin color, "A-an Ishbalin?!" Then Basnique saw the large scar on the Ishbalin man's forehead...

"..._**Y-YOU WON'T WIN! THEY'LL FIND YOU! YOU'RE A BARBARIAN, NOTHING MORE! INF-**_"

_**(SPLAT)**_

The assassin's body then became limp, like a corpse...

End of Chapter 64

* * *

**Next Chapter, the Elrics explore Destiny Islands to look for Tim Marcoh while Sora separates from them...**

**Please Comment.  
**


	65. Chapter 65

**Last time, Alphonse defeated the army of Y. O. U. T. H. Assassins with the help of Donald, Goofy, and Vivi, but Basnique was confident of his 'leader's' successful destruction of the Fullmetal Alchemist and left, leaving Alphonse worrying about his elder brother's safety.  
**

**Back on the island, Sora was confronted by the Brigadier General, Basc Grand AKA: the Iron Blood Alchemist, who arrived in Destiny Islands to annihilate the assassins and all who supported them, INCLUDING Sora and Edward. Kairi escorted Eiko to the nearest boat with Edward while Sora kept Grand and his forces distracted. But as he did, Sora's former allies were being shot down one by one, which seemed to delight the heartless Grand. Sora's fury grew, but not without consequences...  
**

**Kairi pushed Sora out of the way and was shot down.  
**

**After unleashing a devastating Fire spell on Grand's army, Edward pulled Sora away before he could get to Kairi and try to save her. The group escaped, Eiko was reunited with Vivi, but Sora lost his trust in Edward and silently walked back to the Hotel...  
**

**Meanwhile, Basnique, who was secretly working for Grand, was killed by a tall Ishbalin man who bore a scar on his forehead...  
**

**Warning: Kingdom Hearts and Fullmetal Alchemist are both licensed by Square-Enix. The secondary licenses for both franchises are Disney (Kingdom Hearts), Aniplex, Bones Inc., and Funimation (Fullmetal Alchemist). **

******PS: There will be spoilers.**

* * *

Fullmetal Kingdom: The Fanfic

Chapter 65: Unfair Grudge

The next day, Sora and the Elrics headed out with Donald, Goofy, and the kids over to the train station.

When they arrived, Edward looked at Donald and Goofy and said, "Now just remember, you're taking the kids over to Hughes's house at Traverse Town. Got that?" Donald saluted, "Understood, we'll get'em there in no time! Just make sure Sora stays safe." Goofy looked at Vivi and Eiko and gave them their tickets to enter the train, "Here ya go kids. Remember, you gotta keep these tickets close, otherwise we'll miss our train ride home."

After a few hours of waiting, the train back to Amestris arrived. Eiko looked at Ed and said, "...thanks for your help 'Blondie'. You're pretty handy in tight situations." Ed thought to himself, _Well, at least she didn't call you small._ Ed then said to Eiko, "Try and behave yourselves at the Hughes's place. They're good people, so you'll be safe, alright?" Eiko nodded, "Got it. Hey, I just remembered, when was the last time you ate? I mean, look at you! Some milk would do your height justice."

"_**WELL ESCUSE ME FOR BEING A TINY, MILK-HATING HUMAN BEING!**_"

"Calm down brother, you're scaring Vivi."

Vivi stopped hiding behind Al and said to Ed, "Th-thank you for saving my friend, M-Mr. Elric." Ed chuckled and said, "Hey kid, don't sweat it! Sora was the one who asked us to come." Sora looked at Ed with a confused expression and said, "ASKED?! You forced me to bring you, little liar!"

"WHO YA CALLIN' 'LITTLE', YA **CACTUS-HEADED BASTARD**?!"

"YOU'RE THE BASTARD, YA **TWEEKY TWERP**!"

"YOU'RE THE TWERP! YOU'RE YOUNGER THAN ME!"

"BIG WORDS COMING FROM **GRUMPY THE DWARF**!"

"CUT THE SHORT JOKES, YA **SCARECROW**!"

"I'D RATHER CUT YOU DOWN TO SIZE, BUT IT LOOKS LIKE YOU BEAT ME TO IT!"

Sora and Edward continued to yell and mock each other while the kids said their goodbyes to Alphonse. Eiko then asked, "So will you guys make it to Central City?" Al replied, "After my brother, Sora and me find what we're looking for, then we'll come by to see you two. By the way, where do you live? You two must miss your home." Eiko and Vivi looked at each other, and then Eiko replied, "...we lost our homes a long time ago." Vivi explained, "Eiko's village was burned and destroyed, and my Grandpa...he...passed away. And so, we had no home to return to. We decided to travel together to find a new home, but when we came to Lior for a fresh start..."

Al guessed what happened, "The military was there...I'm sorry, it's never easy to lose a home and a family. But you have nothing to worry about; the Hughes Family will take care of you." Eiko nodded, and then asked, "...so how's Sora doing?" Al looked at Sora as he kept yelling at Ed and answered, "He was quiet for the rest of the night. And ever since this morning, he kept arguing with brother, as if Ed did something to him." Eiko then said, "I can guess why." Eiko then walked to Sora and Ed, and said, "HEY, BEDNOB AND BROOMSTICK, I GOT SOMETHING TO SAY!"

"_**BARK, BARK, BARK-**_huh?" The two stopped yelling at each other and looked at Eiko, who walked towards Sora and said, "...I owe you an apology for earlier in Lior." Sora asked, "What do you mean?" Eiko explained, "I didn't trust you, OR the military. I thought you were terrible people...but when you came to save me and Vivi from that weirdo, Cornello...well...crap, how do I say it?"

"...! Oh."

Eiko grabbed Sora and gave him a tight hug.

"...I'm sorry Sora. Thank you for saving my life...twice."

Sora smiled and hugged her back, "What are friends for?"

Eiko then looked at Ed and said, "As for you, you did a good job tossing those assassins around. But that doesn't mean that I trust you! You're still a soldier after all." Ed gritted his teeth and said, "...Have a good trip." Eiko then went with Vivi and the Genomes to board the train, but before they did, Vivi turned around and waved at Sora, who waved back, along with Ed and Al. And with that, the kids and the genomes went to board the train...

"Well, now that the kids are safe, we just need to find Rose, right?" Al asked his brother, who answered, "Yeah, you'd think the bad guys would've made rescuing people easier but NO! **THEY HAVE TO BE SOMEWHERE ELSE!** Well, we saved one of them, so we're half-way done. For now, Marcoh is our primary objective. Got that Sora?"

Ed then noticed that Sora wasn't anywhere close by.

Al then said, "I'm worried, brother, ever since yesterday night, he's been distant." Ed crossed his arms and said, "_**GRRRR, HE'S ALWAYS BEEN DISTANT!**_ ...he's been like that since I saved his life." Al then asked, "Well think, brother! What else did you do yesterday?" Ed answered, "Saved his ass. That's about it." Al asked, "No brother, what did you do while you were on that small island?" Ed answered, "Saved his ass. That's about it." Al was starting to get irritated, so he asked, "Brother, you need to be more descriptive than that! Now after you got Sora out of the assassins hideout, and when Kairi pushed Sora out of...the way..."

…

"He hates me because I didn't let him help Kairi."

"She died to save him, and it tore him apart. He wanted to forget what he saw, and try to get what was left of her off the island. He really thought he could save her..." Alphonse and Edward finally realized Sora's misery, but before they could act, Ed noticed someone coming...

"QUICK AL, HIDE!"

Ed surprises Al by kicking him in a hay stack. As Ed jumped in the stack, Al complained, "THIS ISN'T FUNNY BROTHER, I'M FILLING UP WITH STRAW!" Ed whispered, "SHUSH!" As Ed and Al hid, they noticed someone passing by, a large man with a golden cowlick on his bald head. The man had a stern look in his eyes and he had a curly mustache covering his mouth. Al asked, "Who is that?" Ed answered, "A State Alchemist! I recognized him from HQ; he's one of those guys who came with the Fuhrer." Al then asked, "But why is he here? Did he follow us?" Ed shook his head, "I don't know how else to explain it. The colonel said he's never reported Marcoh's whereabouts to Central Command."

The large man looked around for someone, but he couldn't see what he was looking for, so he walked away. Ed jumped out of the hay, brushed off most of the straw on his coat and said, "Come on Al! Sora will have to wait! We'd better go straight to Marcoh's from here!"

As the Elrics went off to find Marcoh, Sora was walking into town, hoping to take a moment of peace from what happened last night.

As people walked by him, Sora thought to himself, _...Kairi...she was the closes__t thing to a clue that I had to my past...and I lost her. What's worse, I let her die on that island! Some bodyguard I turned out to be. She saved my life...I never even got the chance to thank her for it!_ Sora stopped for a moment and looked up at the sky, _Edward, you could've let me try to save her! You took her away, and for what?! Do you need me...like you needed that little girl for Tucker's experiments?!__** I HATE YOU!**_

Sora's anger grew and grew, when suddenly, someone bumped into him! It was a dark-skinned man in a yellow coat, wearing sunglasses. The dark-skinned man and Sora looked at each other, and Sora looked at him and said, "S-sorry about that!" The man then said to him, "You're forgiven. Hm? ...That sword...I've seen something like it before. An assassin from Y. O. U. T. H. carried something like it." Sora looked at his Avenger and asked, "So, you've heard about Y. O. U. T. H.?"

The man nodded, "I have. It's one of the factions owned by Amestris's Military. On the surface, it appears to be a simple orphanage, but within the confines of its walls lies something else entirely. With a blade like THAT in your possession, it must mean you serve that faction as well." Sora explained, "...I was taken in and trained to be a weapon. But...some weapons are better off never having triggers."

The man asked, "You disagree with their rules?" Sora replied, "I disagree with allot of things. Killing for one, and slavery for another. We were forced to act against our free will, and act we did! We've been bought, sold, and used for taking away a life, OR an entire village. One of my friends was used for one of those purposes, but the experiments they used her for...they went too far. She wanted to be a normal girl, one that had the right to refuse to take the life of another. She was alone, no one helped her...but then I met her. After a few rough steps, we became good friends...and we made a promise to each other..."

"We promised to never kill innocent people again."

The man looked away and asked, "Do you still intend to keep it?" Sora nodded, "Yes." The man then said, "...If you want to remember someone, don't tarnish that memory with anger and pain. Keep the memory close to your heart. Remember them for what they did for you, whether it's a promise or an act to save your life. And if you can, stay away from Amestris." The dark-skinned man then walked off, leaving Sora confused.

But as he left, the man said to himself, "**...because if you get involved with them, this arm will destroy you.**"

As the man walked away, Sora said to himself, "...A promise...or saving my life...Ed. He always yelled at me for protecting him...but maybe...he DID come to the island on his own...and I'm just a bodyguard, so why couldn't he find a new one? Did he...pull me away because he wanted to protect me?" Sora sat on a bench and said to himself, "He...he wanted the same thing as Kairi! HE WANTED TO SAVE ME! He wasn't heartless after all! I WAS THE JERK!"

And with that, Sora ran through the city to try and find his friend...

Speaking of which, Edward and Alphonse had just finished speaking with the townspeople about Dr. Marcoh. From what they've heard, the doctor that fit the Elrics description was a man named Marrow. Apparently, the doctor helped almost every citizen that was jeopardized by life-threatening situations. Ed was certain that Marrow was indeed Dr. Marcoh, so he and Al went to a small house that was said to be Marrow's home. But when they knocked on the door...

(BANG, BANG)

Two bullet shots came from the door, nearly taking out the Elric Brothers! Then the door opened, and the gunman was a frightened middle-aged man. Ed tried to calm the gunman down, "D-Doctor Marcoh, right? Take it easy, we aren't here to make trouble-"

The doctor pointed the gun at Ed and said, "I know who you are, they said a State Alchemist came from Amestris, AND IT'S OBVIOUS WHO YOU ARE, **ISN'T IT?! **That pocket watch tells the whole story, don't deny it! You think you can take me back there-" Al then asked, "Then you ARE Dr. Marcoh, the Crystal Alchemist! Is that really true?" Marcoh yelled, "_**NO! **_NO MORE QUESTIONS OR ORDERS! I couldn't bear going back to that place!"

Al lowered his hands and said, "...put the gun down. Please."

But Marcoh wouldn't listen, instead, he kept making wild guesses, "Or have you...come to silence me?! Think you can kill me?! WELL I'M NOT JUST GOING TO LET THAT HAPPEN-!"

To Marcoh's shock, Al stood back up and said to the frightened man, "It's alright, shoot me if you want, but I won't die. You'll be the only one who'll get hurt." Al then bumped his iron chest onto the gun...

(CLANG)

Marcoh was shocked to realize that the person in front of him was actually a living suit of armor, empty and hollow in the inside. Marcoh finally calmed himself, "(sigh) I see, you're him. You're the Fullmetal Alchemist."

"_**NO FOR THE HUNDRETH TIME! THAT NAME BELONGS TO ME!**_" Ed said as he pushed Al out of the way.

However, unbeknown to Marcoh or the Elrics, someone was watching them...

"Sir, I've followed the Elrics to a small house. You were right, Tim Marcoh is hiding there."

Grand listened to the transmission from a small radio in his car and ordered, "I knew that coward would slip up sooner or later. Wait there for me and my men to arrive; we're taking back our greatest weapon!" The soldier replied, "Yes Brigadier General sir."

The soldier hung up, and Grand came out of his car to greet the soldiers who were waiting for him. Grand looked at his soldiers and announced, "It's been years since we've lost that worm, Marcoh. And now, we have him right where we want him! Men, we've already silenced the remaining Y. O. U. T. H. brats, and it didn't feel like much of a challenge. However, opportunity has arisen from the past, as the benefactor of our greatest weapon has returned! I WANT THE CRYSTAL ALCHEMIST, MEN, NO SCREW UPS THIS TIME!"

"SIR YES SIR!"

As the soldiers armed themselves and headed out, Grand said to a nearby soldier, "My spy has informed me that it was the Elrics who found Marcoh. Make sure they don't escape either...and if you see that **knife** with them..._**kill him.**_"

End of Chapter 65

* * *

**Next Chapter, the Elric Brothers talk to Dr. Marcoh and Sora battles a lethal foe...**

**Please Comment.  
**


	66. Chapter 66

**Last time, Sora says his goodbyes to Vivi and Eiko as Donald and Goofy bring them on-board the train back to Amestris. Afterwords, Edward and Alphonse head off to town to find Tim Marcoh, the Crystal Alchemist who might hold a clue to restoring the brothers' bodies.**

**Meanwhile, Kairi's death was engraved in Sora's heart, so he left the Elrics, feeling that Edward was responsible for letting Kairi perish on the beach with no one to help her. As Sora grunted, he bumped into a man with white hair, dark skin, and a scar on his forehead. The encounter gave Sora a realization, Edward always looked after Sora, just as Sora did for him. Feeling guilty, Sora ran off to find Ed and apologize...  
**

**Meanwhile, Ed and Al finally find Dr. Marcoh, who wasn't too happy to see a soldier of the Amestris Military at his doorstep. But after Al calmed the poor man down, he was willing to let them in his home. But the three alchemists were far from alone, as Basc Grand ordered his men to move out and apprehend the Crystal Alchemist AND the Elric Brothers...  
**

**Warning: Kingdom Hearts and Fullmetal Alchemist are both licensed by Square-Enix. The secondary licenses for both franchises are Disney (Kingdom Hearts), Aniplex, Bones Inc., and Funimation (Fullmetal Alchemist). **

******PS: There will be spoilers.**  


* * *

Fullmetal Kingdom: The Fanfic

Chapter 66: Rusted Iron

Inside Marcoh's home, the Elrics confronted the doctor for his reasons for leaving the military. The doctor told them how he changed his name in order to hide himself from his pursuers. And how he came to Destiny Islands to try and redeem himself of his past crimes by helping to save lives instead of taking them away. Thus far, his life was peaceful and quiet, but he knows that somewhere, the military was still looking for him.

"...and so I deserted the battlefield with all the research I could pile at the time. But I'll bet they're still looking for me so that they can see what I've found out. Now, that's enough about me, now tell me, why did you come to find me?" Ed explained, "Well doc, me and Al here have been researching Human Transmutation for some time to find some answers on how to restore our bodies-"

"FORGET IT!"

Ed was startled by Marcoh's answer. So as Ed sat back down, Marcoh explained, "I can't show you my work. The audits from above are withstanding, I dirtied my hands in that research! Then the military...they put it to use on those people, in that Eastern Rebellion massacre!" Ed asked, "You're talking about the uprising in Ishbal. That IS what you're talking about, right?" Marcoh's hands shook as he spoke, "Armageddon, that's the only word that fits that battle! Women...children...it didn't matter. Everyone was killed, and there wasn't any real reason for it! All they said was that the people of Ishbal defied them, spoke out against the system. What I was responsible for...I could never make up for that! EVEN TAKING MY LIFE WOULD BE A TOKEN JESTURE! ...so I decided to vanish...become a doctor...help people...and somehow work off the fraction of my dept...**Now get out!**"

Furious at Marcoh, Ed slammed his hands on his table and said, "HEY! I'm a ranking State Alchemist! I have a right to that research and anything else you know!" Marcoh shook his head and said, "...you're way too small for these concerns. (Ed: "_**WHAT?!**_") I'll bet you were blinded by your abundant privileges, and so you joined their ranks without even knowing the consequences. A foolish mistake, if you had been there during the rebellion you'd feel the same way."

"I KNOW THAT! I know what we're doing is stupid, OK?! **IT'S NOT YOUR PROBLEM!**"

What Ed said made the room silent; no one had anything to say. Until Alphonse said, "...Dr. Marcoh, about 5 years ago, you treated some babies in Xenotime. I just want you to know they're fine now. The Red Water is gone." When he heard Alphonse's news, Marcoh lets out a sigh of relief.

But Ed noticed Marcoh staring at a wall...

Ed stood up and ran to the wall, checking to see what was so important. Al asked, "Brother, what are you doing?!" Ed replied, "**GUESS WORK!**" Ed then clapped his hands and made a hole in the wall! This action surprised Marcoh, "H-he didn't need a Transmutation Circle?!" Ed then found what Marcoh was looking at, a cabinet filled with vials of Red Water!

Ed picked one up and asked himself, "Is this the Red Water from Xenotime? ...no, it looks allot clearer!" Al pulled Ed away and said to him, "BROTHER, THIS IS WRONG! You can't just tear someone else's home apart like that!" Ed yelled out loud, "HEY, LET GO OF ME! HE'S ON TO SOMETHING! L-LET..._**GO!**_"

But as Ed struggled, he dropped the vial onto the floor, breaking it and releasing the Red Water. But to the Elric Brothers' amazement, the Red Water started hardening, then it immediately turned into a small red stone! Al released Ed, and the two inspected the stone. Ed said to Al, "I-it's not a real liquid!" Al agreed, "No, it's not. It looks more like that gem in the ring the fake priest had in Lior."

Suddenly, the front door broke open, and soldiers came inside, holding guns at Marcoh and the Elrics!

"The '_Sages Stone_', the '_Celestial Stone_', the '_Great Elixir_', the '_Red Teacher_', and the 'Next Element', did you really think a substance of so many names could be limited to just the form of a stone?"

The Elrics and Marcoh watched as the Brigadier General, Basc Grand, walked by his soldiers and picked up the small red stone. "Brigadier General Grand!" Ed said with a shocked expression. Marcoh smirked, "So, a 'Brigadier General' now? You've certainly wormed your way up to the top, Basc!" Grand looked at Marcoh and said to him, "Hmph, you're damn right, Crystal Alchemist. And now, you'll hand over your research **AND the Philosopher Stone to me!**"

"Wait, THAT'S a Philosopher Stone?!" Ed asked. Grand turns back at Ed and explains, "An experimental leap at best, roulette at worst. You'll never know when it reaches its limit and backfires. This unstable and defective product was very different from the true stone. But during the Ishbal Rebellion, it did augment our abilities...and make us tremendously powerful!"

"You're saying the military hasn't just looked for the stone? In the past, it's worked to develop it?" Al asked. Ed's amazement made him realize, "Never mind that it wasn't perfect! It was made by human hands...AND IT WORKED! That proves the concept is possible! The Philosopher Stone's not just a myth! Sir, where are the design specs?"

However, instead of answering Ed's question, Grand snapped his fingers, making his men surround the Elric Brothers while keeping their rifles pointed at them! Ed asked, "WH-WHAT THE HELL IS THIS?!" Grand explained, "THIS is for your meddlesome **'Knife'**! You assisted him in escaping after he brutally attacked my forces! You thought I would forget such treachery? And what do you intend to do when you see how the Philosopher Stone was made? Increase your meddling even more, Fullmetal?! This research is top secret and falls under MY jurisdiction! I can't permit you access to it, let alone allow you and that soulless puppet to roam free! Now where is he?!"

Ed gritted his teeth as he tried to stay quiet, but Al answered Grand's question, "...he's not here. He abandoned us right after we escaped! He told us that we were no longer of any use to him, so he disappeared. By now, he's long gone." Though Al's answer angered Grand, he sighed and said, "Very well, then I'll just have to deal with what I have. You two will be tried for treason! _**LET'S GO!**_"

"_**NO, LET GO OF ME!**_"

Ed then noticed that Marcoh was also being taken by Grand's men! As Ed watched Marcoh begged, "_**PLEASE, I'M SORRY I RAN! HAVE MERCY!**_" But his pleas fell on deaf ears as the soldiers kept pulling him out of the house...

As the Elrics were pulled out afterwards, Sora was in town, looking for the Elric Brothers. Sora ran past so many people, wondering to himself, _Edward, Alphonse, you're here somewhere, I know you are! __Please, give me a sign! Any sign that you're close by!_

Suddenly, Sora heard a voice...

"_**YOU CAN'T TAKE ME BACK THERE! I CAN'T GO BACK TO THAT PLACE, IT**__**'S TOO **__**MUCH! I CAN'T TAKE IT, THE **__**TESTING, THE EXPERIMENTS, MY HANDS ARE ALREADY STAINED! PLEASE!**_"

Just then, Sora remembered, "...Dr. Marrow?!" Sora ran to where the cries of anguish came from, and as he hid himself in the shadows of an alley, he saw a small house with soldiers taking away three prisoners. Sora looked closer and saw his clients, "Ed & Al?! What's going on here?! Why are they-huh?" Sora then saw Grand with Marcoh, whom he threw into the back of his car. Sora's hands tightened into fists just by looking at the Iron Blood Alchemist, "Grand..." Sora stopped his anger and kept himself hidden...

Grand then entered his car and went off into the city, while Ed and Al were forced into another car, where Ed asked, "Al, why did you make that story up?!" Al explained, "Because Grand was the one who brutally killed Sora's friends. HE made the first move. And I couldn't let Sora get caught by someone like him!" Ed smiled and said, "Well, who knows? Maybe he did make it out."

Grand smirked as his driver went into town, "With the weapon back in our hands, no one will ever have the gull to stand against us again!" Suddenly, Grand saw someone step onto the road in front of them! The driver stopped, and right in front of them, Grand saw a familiar face...

"_**Is your blood really made of iron, 'Iron Blood'? That HAS to be the reason you can't get your ass out of the car!**_"

The second car stopped behind the other one, and inside the second car, Al saw the cause, "B-brother, its Sora!" Ed looked out the window and saw the Keyblade Master, "...well, well, look who's pissed off like a real man. IT'S ABOUT TIME, SORA!" Sora noticed Ed, and then he said to him, "I GOT SOMETHING TO SAY TO YOU AFTER THIS, SO DON'T GO ANYWHERE!"

"Duh!"

Sora then looked at the car in front of him and said, "Get out of the car, Grand!" Grand simply shook his head and said to the driver, "Run him over." The driver complied and started the engine! Sora's eyes widened as the car came at him! So Sora took out his Keyblade, which had a rope tied to it, "I thought you'd pull something like that off!" The Keybearer then jumped over the car as it came at him! And then, he jammed his sword into the trunk of the car! He then held on to his sword as the car drove through the city!

As he saw Sora get dragged off by the Brigadier General's car, Ed kicked the car door open and started running after it. As he ran, one of the soldiers pulled a gun out and said, "HEY, STOP RIGHT-!" Before the soldier finished, Al pounded the back of his head, "Sorry!" And so, Al went along with Ed into town...

As dirt was flung into Sora's face, he called out, "YEEHAW! I COULD DO THIS ALL DAY, SCARFACE!" Irritated, Grand transmuted a small cannon inside the trunk!

(KA-BAAM)

Sora ran up a nearby building wall to avoid the cannon-shot! "Is that all you got?!"

(KA-BAAM)

"Stupid question!"

The second shot nearly took out Sora's head, but he ducked just in time! However, before he could mock Grand again, the Iron Blood transmuted the cannon into a machine gun!

As the gun shot its endless rounds, the Keyblade Master did everything he could to dodge the rounds! He ran on top of a few food carts, jumping from one cart to another! Before the bullets could reach him, he jumped off the last cart, yanked on the rope, and landed on top of the car! He reached for the handle to try and get Marcoh out, but the car stopped, and Sora was flung onto the street.

"Have you become so foolish, that you'd risk your own life to stop me?" Grand asked as he came out of the car. As Sora stood up and wiped the blood off his lip, Grand sneered, "Perfection is within Amestris's reach, and I won't let some _**Knife**_ jeopardize its growth to power!" Grand then threw off his coat and ran his hands into his alchemic gauntlets! Then he yelled out, "You've forced this on yourself, '_**Knife**_'!"

Grand then threw his fist down to the ground, and created 4 cannons that aimed at the Keybearer! The cannons fired, and Sora jumped over them. Sora then threw his Avenger at Grand, knocking him into a building!

Sora jumped in after Grand, but as he did, a cannonball came at him from the left, so he ducked! And at an instant, another came to his right, so he jumped out of the way! And just when he thought he was in the clear, the room echoed with clicking noises...

With a terrible feeling running down his spine, the Keyblade Master jumped back out of the building, and then-

(KABLAM)

The entire building blew up!

Sora was flung into a building wall by the pressure of the explosion. And out of the smoke came Grand, who grabbed the young assassin and threw him onto the road. The Brigadier General stepped on Sora's back and pressed his foot against the Keybearer's spine. As Grand tortured Sora, he asked, "Was it worth it, you filthy worm? Was this loss worth the last few miserable seconds of your life? If not, then perhaps a small request for forgiveness would suffice! What do you say 'Knife'?"

"Yeah...I got one request..._**CALL ME SORA!**_"

Sora surprised Grand with a kick in the nads, and a strong kick to the cranium! Sora then grabbed the leg of the Iron Blood Alchemist, and swung him around and around, until he released him by throwing Grand against his car!

Sora took a few deep breaths and started walking towards Grand. Sora then picked him up by his throat and asked, "You're not running away Grand, not this time! I want answers...answers regarding the location of my friends from Y. O. U. T. H." Grand spat out blood and said, "(cough) So, THIS is why you betrayed us...for your own kind. It's quite admirable, for a homeless rat like you to show concern."

"I want answers Grand, WHERE DID YOU TAKE THEM?!" Sora asked. Grand smiled and replied, "You seem to believe that I have use for orphans like you. Last I checked, we had alchemy, weapons, even supporters of our governments, but assassins?! HA! The only uses assassins have now are for clean and silent causes for war. So why would I want to take your so-called friends if war has already passed?!" Sora answered, "Probably because you want to start another, otherwise, you wouldn't just place a Slave Crown on someone's noggin!" Grand asked, "You think I used Slave Crowns?" Sora replied, "Of course! A witness remembered you and your men capturing them! It only makes sense that you would want to use Slave Crowns to control them!" Grand laughed, "YOU SIMPLE MINDED FOOL! I have an army of loyal soldiers, why would I need another?!" Sora gripped his Keyblade and pressed it against the Brigadier General's throat, "For the way you acted yesterday night, I should tell the Fuhrer everything you've done! But if you want to avoid prison for a couple more years, YOU'LL TELL ME WHERE MY FRIENDS ARE!"

But instead of giving Sora what he wanted Grand laughed, "The Fuhrer? _**THE FUHRER?!**_ You stupid little '_**knife**_'! The fuhrer's the reason I'm here!"

The Brigadier General's words frightened Sora, so the boy yelled, "YOU'RE LYING!" Then Sora clenched his fist and prepared to break his enemy's nose, but before Sora could throw his fist, Ed grabbed his bodyguard's arm and said, "_**CALM DOWN**_, beating him up isn't the right way to find them! Just keep your cool, and we'll report this, alright?!"

Sora listened to Ed's words and calmed himself. The Keybearer then came back up and headed towards Grand's car. He came before the passenger door and opened it, "Dr. Marrow, are you alright?" Al asked, "M-Marrow?! So you've met him, Sora?" Sora nodded, "Yeah, I owe this guy everything after what he did for me and Tina." Ed then said to Sora, "Uh, Sora...just want you to know...his real name is Tim Marcoh." Sora asked, "W-WAIT! Marrow is Marcoh?!" Ed shouted, "YOU'RE GETTING THIS NOW?! WHAT KINDA BODYGUARD ARE YOU?! You could've remembered the similarities of their names but NO, you couldn't think about that, you had to get kidnapped by guys in long underwear!"

"**Finally...the Iron B****lood Alchemist...Brigadier General Basc Grand...I'm honored.**"

Just then, Sora, Edward, Alphonse, Marcoh, and Grand saw someone walking towards them with white hair in a yellow coat wearing sunglasses...**and a scar on his forehead**.

End of Chapter 66

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**Next Chapter, Sora and the Elric Brothers encounter their deadliest foe yet...**

**Please Comment.  
**


	67. Chapter 67

**Last time, Edward and Alphonse were invited into Dr. Tim Marcoh's home, where he told them about his history with the Amestris military, and how he walked away from the battlefield after causing unforgivable acts of death and destruction. Edward then asked if he and his brother could be given the clues on making a real Philosopher Stone, however, the grief-stricken doctor refused, knowing that such a creation like the stone would cause more tragedy. However, Ed uncovered a secret hiding place for Marcoh's Red Water, and found out that the Red Water itself can change into a solid matter. Suddenly, Basc Grand broke in and arrested them for assisting Sora with escaping his army. He then revealed that the Red Stone itself was not only used in the past, but it was created as well for the war against Ishbal. Hungering for the Philosopher Stone's power, he also took Marcoh along...**

**But before the Brigadier General and his men could leave, Sora challenged Grand to a one-on-one fight, which resulted in the Iron Blood Alchemist's defeat. Sora then interrogated Grand on the location of the other Y. O. U. T. H. Assassins, but Grand only laughed at Sora, telling him that he had no need for them. And when Grand told Sora that King Bradley was responsible for his arrival in Destiny Islands, Sora and the Elrics encountered a strange dark-skinned figure with a scar on his forehead approaching them...  
**

**Warning: Kingdom Hearts and Fullmetal Alchemist are both licensed by Square-Enix. The secondary licenses for both franchises are Disney (Kingdom Hearts), Aniplex, Bones Inc., and Funimation (Fullmetal Alchemist). **

**********PS: There will be spoilers.**  


* * *

Fullmetal Kingdom: The Fanfic

Chapter 67: Perish the Thought

Sora then remembered who the approaching figure was, "Hey, you're that guy from earlier! About what you said to me...thank you." The scarred man stopped walking and looked at the Keybearer, "...So your friend was the Fullmetal. This makes things easier..."

Grand stood up and said, "Hmph, your timing's too bad, **JUST AS I GOT MY HANDS ON **_**THIS!**_"

Grand then pulled out the Red Stone, but before he could reveal it, his face was grabbed by the scarred man! Sora commented, "Geez, what a way to talk to the-"

Suddenly, red bolts of lightning emitted from the scarred man's hand, and a red flash covered the area!

(SNAP)

"_**AAAAAAAAAAAAAAGGGHHH!"**_

The flash of light then disappeared, and the area was silent. Ed opened his eyes to find out who screamed, and to his shock, he saw Grand slump down to the ground, dead. Ed looked at the scarred man and thought, _That face...that'__s the guy I saw in Central 3 years ago, I'm sure of it! But never mind that, this is messed up! My mind's telling me to run, but my legs are frozen stiff!_

Sora was next to open his eyes, and he was just as terrified as Ed! He yelled, "Why...**WHY DID YOU DO**** IT?!** We could've turned him over to the police! There was no reason to kill him!" The scarred man ignored Sora and proceeded to shaking the blood off his fingertips. Sora thought, _A single touch...skulls blown from the inside...those sound like...wait! __Could this be-?!_

**Colonel sir, you wanted to see me?**

**Yes, since you'll be traveling with the Fullmetal again, I should tell you, there's a killer going after State Alchemists. This man is responsible for killing 9 skilled alchemists, and the way he does it is pretty unique, he kills them with a single touch to the skull. We don't know how he's doing it, or why, but you can't let your guard down, understand?**

**A...a single...touch? Who is this psychopath?!**

**All we know is that he has white hair, dark skin, and an X-shaped scar on his forehead. We've nicknamed this man, 'The Scarred Man'. But to simplify who he is, it's best to call him...**

"Scar."

Scar then looked at Marcoh, "Crystal Alchemist, Dr. Timothy Marcoh? I heard you were dead...I'll have to take special care...to wipe you out of this world...for your transgressions." But as Scar was getting closer, Marcoh didn't budge, instead, he said, "I see. Very well then, go ahead. How can I protest?" Scar came before Marcoh and proceeded to kill him, "In the name of the almighty one, **thou shalt perish.**"

Suddenly, Edward grabbed Marcoh and ran!

Sora then blasted Scar with a Fire spell and ran along with the two alchemists.

"It's OK, just leave me behind!" Marcoh pleaded Ed, who replied, "You really need to learn how to be thankful, pops!" As they ran, Sora looked back and saw Scar walk out of the dust cloud, uninjured by Sora's spell. "Fullmetal Alchemist, Edward Elric...YOU WON'T ESCAPE EITHER!" Scar then started to chase the Fullmetal and the others.

Sora said to Ed, "Edward, fire doesn't seem to work on this guy!" Ed replied, "Don't think about it, just keep running!" Sora then asked, "Sorry, I just don't get why he's so peeved at you! Then again, you did have a talent of making enemies." Ed then said, "HEY SHUT UP, I DON'T MAKE-" Before Ed could finish, Sora looked at him with a 'come on, course you do' look, making Ed say, "...OK, maybe I do make enemies, but I haven't done anything bad enough to make them kill me!"

As the trio ran, Ed asked, "This is your home, right? Don't you know where we're going?" Sora replied, "Not really, Riku and me usually head to the beach when we escape. This town is just as strange to me as it is to you!" Ed yelled, "Great, I get a foreigner for a bodyguard and he doesn't even know his country!" Sora then realized something, "Ed, Al's not here! Where is he?!" Ed looked back and saw only Scar chasing them, "CRAP, HE'S NOT HERE!"

"Brother! Over here!"

Ed and Sora noticed Al waving at them, so they rush to him. And when they did Al transmuted the doorway into a wall! Sora, Marcoh, and the Elrics took a few deep breaths, but when they heard footsteps, they remained silent...

…

To the group's relief, the footsteps were gone.

"So you were looking for a hiding place, quick thinking, Al." Sora said as he patted Al on the back. Marcoh then looked closely at the Keybearer's face and said, "...you were with that girl. Her name was Tina, wasn't it?" Sora nodded, "...it's good to see you again doctor." Al then asked, "So you DO know Dr. Marcoh! But how did you-?" Sora explained, "Well...he was the one who began the movement against the Slave Crowns."

Ed and Al were amazed, so Sora explained how it happened...

"As I told you before, the Slave Crown can make anyone an obedient servant and force them to obey even the most sinister commands. These crowns made someone I knew, named Tina, into a merciless killer. She was used for the most extreme missions... One night, after we infiltrated a group of rebels, Tina went in without me and tore the enemies apart. Blood covered her hands as she walked away. I decided to avoid working with her, to avoid the same fate as our enemies. But one day, I saw her crying...

She screamed in pain and pulled her hair in anguish. Riku then told me about a side effect of the Slave Crown...While your body is under the control of the headband, **your mind stays awake.** She saw what she did to those people, murder, killing, and even silencing the voices of innocent people. She hated seeing herself in the mirror, and even told the closest person to get away from her. I saw her do this for 7 days...I felt just as tormented as her, so I did the unthinkable. I approached her...

She made it clear that she wanted to be alone, but I still wanted to help her. I introduced myself, I told her how I came to the Orphanage, and I gave her a hand in friendship...she looked at me and screamed 'leave me alone'. I was scared of course, but what she did...next..."

Sora stopped for a moment, and pulled the collar on his shirt over to show a part of his chest...

Alphonse trembled, "You...you're..."

Edward walked closer to Sora, and his eyes widened to the horrific vision in front of him...Sora's right upper part of his chest had a part of him that was bitten off, and the teeth marks looked similar to a wild cat's fangs.

"_**She tried to eat you?!**_"

Sora ignored Ed's question and continued, "I lost consciousness for a few days. That was when the Orphanage brought over some well-known doctors to help treat my wounds. One of the doctors had no need for money, he said he could help in any way he could. So as I was being treated, Tina came into the room and offered to help in any way she could..."

Marcoh then said, "So after I used my alchemy to try and heal his wounds, the girl bandaged Sora up. She confessed that she was the one who attacked him, and begged for me to report her to the police. Her eyes were red from her endless tears, so I told her to tell me why she wanted to be turned in, and sure enough, she told me about the Slave Crowns. How she had nightmares about the merciless actions she committed, and how she couldn't live with herself anymore. But I knew the real problem HAD to be the crowns, so I consulted with the founders of Y. O. U. T. H., who had no intention of listening to my case. But one of them listened well enough to realize the threat the Slave Crowns could present to the public..."

"My teacher." Sora said with a warm smile.

Al's eyes were filled with sadness as he said, "(sniff) I never imagined you going through something so horrible!" Ed wiped the tears off his face and said, "You went to Hell and back, and you're still an emotional idiot! (sniff) So, what happened to that Tina girl?" Sora answered, "She recovered her senses after a four week suspension from duty. After that, she apologized to me and we became friends. Then...after a few days, she decided to dedicate herself to a goal. She wanted to help people just like that doctor who saved me. So she studied in becoming a teacher to help children."

Sora then looked at Marcoh and said, "Doctor, like you, we distanced ourselves from that lifestyle. I should thank you...the promise we made is a reminder of your kindness." Sora then started to walk further into the tunnel. Al asked, "Wait, where are you going?!" Sora replied, "We're trying to run from that 'Scar' guy, remember? There's a chance he'll find us here, so we'd better get moving!"

But when Sora finished speaking to the Elrics, the wall Al created started to glow red...

(KA-BOOOM)

The wall exploded, and the heroes decided to take Sora's advice and run!

But Scar wasn't going to allow them to get away, so he used the power in his right arm to destroy a large portion of the tunnel to block Sora and the Elrics's way out!

The group turned around to see Scar standing before them, ready to finish what he started. Scar then looked at Sora and said, "Your friend was used by the same military that employs the Fullmetal and the Crystal Alchemist, yet you would stand beside such sinful men as if they were Y. O. U. T. H. assassins. Have you lost your objective already? Do you even WANT to save your brothers and sisters?"

Sora asked, "Why is that so important to you?!" Scar replied, "The Amestris military is similar to your alchemists. They create conflict and war to make a new world, and they destroyed the world I once had to make theirs a reality! So if people like you and them are the creators of this society that harbors gold and weapons over family and friends, **then there must be a destroyer that punishes your kind!**"

Sora yelled, "I _**AM**_ LOOKING FOR MY KIND! The only way I can find them is to follow the military's orders and remain a bodyguard. Every time I go somewhere with the Elrics, I get closer to finding the others. You think I forgot about them? I NEVER FORGET MY FRIENDS!" Sora then charged at Scar with his Avenger, but to his surprise, Scar moved out of the way, and gave Sora a hard punch to the gut, knocking the Keybearer out!

"...may God bless you in your quest."

Ed and Al looked at Sora as he fell to the ground. Ed growled, "Big mistake, creep!" He then clapped his hands and transmuted a small dagger out of a metal pipe. The Fullmetal and his younger brother prepared themselves for Scar, who said to Ed, "...You have a kind look in your eyes, just like my older brother." Ed was surprised to hear the scarred man speak so casually, "Y-you have a brother?!" Scar continued, "His eyes were strong, as if they peered through an endless distance, and saw something many could not. Edward Elric, three years ago...yes, we have met before. I was glad to hear that you quit the military, but now..."

Ed smirked, "Yeah, so now my name's back on the list."

Ed then darted at Scar and lashed at him, but Scar avoided his attack again! "He-he's too fast!" Ed said, and then Scar reached out to Ed with his right hand and said, "No, you're just..._**TOO SLOW!**_"

"BROTHER!"

Al then pushed Ed out of the way and took Scar's attack! The young brother looked at his arm and saw that Scar's unusual killer hand only dented his arm. Scar then said, "Don't mistake your fortune! That alchemy was designed for human flesh, that's why you only escaped with a dent! THIS TIME, stay out of this! My only enemies are State Alchemists and those who stand in-between." Ed then asked, "...but why? Why are you after us?!"

Scar explained, "Alchemists are those who take things from their original form and change them into something grotesque, inhumane, the profane God creator of all claiming they have a better design! That is you and your kind, Fullmetal, YOU are the creators I must destroy. I am here as a right hand; an agent of God, to carry out his judgment upon you!"

Scar prepared his right hand for another attack, but Alphonse stood in front of Ed and said, "I can't let you do that!" Scar asked, "Why do you seek death?!" Al answered, "...I don't, but I'm an alchemist to, I may not have a State Certification like my brother, but you mentioned that you had a brother, right? Then YOU should understand why I can't just sit by, and watch my brother get killed."

Scar gritted his teeth as he spoke...

"_**I DO!**_** I understand exactly how it feels to watch your brother murdered before your eyes! When you CAN'T do a thing! ...in fact...maybe...**_**I'LL SHOW EDWARD!**_"

"NOOOOOO!" Ed rushed to try and stop Scar, but he was actually doing what the alchemist killer wanted! Scar then caught Ed's right arm with his, and used the alchemy in his arm to try and destroy Ed's arm! "I told you, YOU'RE TOO SLOW!"

(BZZZZATT)

The attack was done, but to Scar's surprise, Ed still had an arm. Scar only destroyed the sleeve of the coat Ed was wearing. Beneath the tears, Scar noticed Edward's Automail arm! Scar then said, "...Automail? So your arm begets nothing but destruction also!" Ed transmuted his arm into an arm-blade and said, "Don't start THAT with me! We're NOTHING alike, pal!"

Ed charged at Scar, but before the two could collide-

(KRA-KOOOOM)

The debris that covered part of the tunnel was blown away! Then, large spikes were shot at Scar, who jumped out of the way! Just then, the Elrics Marcoh, and Scar heard footsteps...

Everyone looked towards the destroyed debris and saw the same large man with a mustache that was looking around for someone in Destiny Islands.

Al asked, "Y-you're the State Alchemist from earlier! Have you come for Dr. Marcoh?!" The large man walked past Al and Marcoh and patted Ed on the shoulder. The large man then said, "I'm sorry I'm late. The Lieutenant Colonel ordered me to tail you as protection." Ed asked, "Wait, you mean Hughes-?!" The large man nodded, then he walked over to Sora and gave the unconscious boy to Al, "Take Marcoh and this boy out of here, I'll handle the alchemist killer."

Al nodded, and carried Sora while following Ed and Marcoh out.

The large man looked at Scar and said, "**I heard you on the way over here. You say you're an a****gent of God? Well why don't you try passing judgment on me? **_**THAT'S ALEX LOUIS ARMSTRONG, THE STRONG-ARMED ALCHEMIST?!**_"

End of Chapter 67

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**As the Strong-Arm battles the Scarred Man, Sora and the Elrics plan their next move...**

**Please Comment.  
**


	68. Chapter 68

**Last time, Edward, Sora, Alphonse, and Marcoh witnessed Basc Grand's life taken by a new enemy, the judgmental alchemist killer Scar, who's right hand obliterated Grand's insides in a heartbeat! Knowing that challenging the lethal killer would be suicide, Sora and Edward take Marcoh and retreat. Alphonse snook into the underground path of the town and hid the group inside to avoid Scar. **

**As they hid, Sora explained how he knew Dr. Marcoh...**

**He was the one who saved Sora's life a long time ago after a maddened Tina tore Sora's body apart! After Sora's recovery, Tina confessed the reason for her madness, it was the effects of the Slave Crown, which controls the wearer and forces them to obey any savage command made by the Y. O. U. T. H. scientists. Marcoh convinced the board directors to remove the Slave Crowns completely from productivity while Tina and Sora became close friends.  
**

**Suddenly, Scar found the group and incapacitated Sora, Scar then prepared to kill Edward the same way he killed the Iron Blood Alchemist when out of the darkness came a gigantic man with a blonde mustache. He apologized to Edward and informed him that the Lieutenant Colonel, Maes Hughes, sent him to aid in their protection. As the group retreats, Alex Louis Armstrong brings out his gauntlets and challenges the alchemist killer...  
**

**Warning: Kingdom Hearts and Fullmetal Alchemist are both licensed by Square-Enix. The secondary licenses for both franchises are Disney (Kingdom Hearts), Aniplex, Bones Inc., and Funimation (Fullmetal Alchemist). **

**************PS: There will be spoilers.**  


* * *

Fullmetal Kingdom: The Fanfic

Chapter 68: Out of the Frying Pan...

"What a righteous day this is turning into. The Strong-Armed Alchemist, saving me the trouble of finding him by coming right to me. Blessed be God, full of grace." Scar said as he smiled at Armstrong. But Armstrong took up a large piece of debris and said, "Don't pray just yet. You're facing the technique passed down through the Armstrong line for generations. **THAT'****S HARDLY A BLESSING!**"

The alchemist through the debris into the air, and made an accurate punch against it when his eye caught it coming down before him. That single punch transmuted the debris into three large stone spikes that came right at Scar, who swiftly avoided them! "The gloves...they're written with alchemy." Scar said as Armstrong punched the ground. "NEXT SHOT!" Armstrong then transmuted a wave of spikes at Scar, but Scar simply destroyed them when they came at him.

But what happened next was even more surprising. Armstrong threw off his coat, and revealed his massive muscular upper-body. As he made senseless poses, Armstrong said, "It's true what you said, the opposite of creation IS destruction, and both must be served! 'Destroy & Create', it is the grand currency of the universe, and it is the duty of the Armstrong line to carry out both!" Scar was disturbed by Armstrong's poses of course, but Scar snapped out of his sickened status and said, "...That's why I was going to track you down once Fullmetal and Crystal were finished."

The Strong-Armed Alchemist's eyes glittered with pink stars as he lunged at Scar, preparing to take Scar down with a swift punch to the face, but Scar moved his head out of the way, only his sunglasses were hit! Scar then said to himself, "A unique combination of Alchemy and Physical Power! God help me..."

Suddenly, Armstrong noticed the color of Scar's eyes, and just realized that Scar's skin and hair matched with another...

"Y-you have Red Eyes...Red Eyes and dark skin! YOU MUST BE FROM-"

Scar swiftly attacked Armstrong before he could finish! Luckily, Armstrong dodged the attack, just in time to continue questioning the alchemist killer's motives, "But the god your people pray to forbids alchemy! It's modernity's greatest sin! I see your rational, alchemy has three parts. 1, determine the makeup. 2, break it down or rebuild it into something else. You stop at step two, so you're saved by a loophole, like killing for a religious cause. But murder is STILL murder, AND YOU'RE STILL AN ALCHEMIST!"

Infuriated, Scar brought out his right hand and yelled, "I only do as this arm instructs me, contrary or not!** LEAVE IT TO THE PROPHETS TO INTERPRET GOD'S WILL!**"

Scar roared as he charged at Armstrong, who tried to stop him with more stone spikes. Scar destroyed them, and kept running at the alchemist...

(KRA-THOOOM)

A large explosion was heard throughout the city!

Outside the town, the Elrics, Sora and Marcoh finally make it out of the tunnel. The group found themselves in a field of yellow flowers, where they stopped to take a breather. Al placed Sora against a tree while he sat with Ed to plan their next move. Al said to Ed, "What now, brother? That scarred man might still come after us." Ed nodded, "Yeah, and he was strong enough to take out one of us with a single chop to the shoulder. And his freak-hand, what the hell kind of alchemy can do that?! Grand wasn't a favorite of mine, but he didn't deserve THAT!"

"Edward? Alphonse? Is that you?"

Ed and Al looked towards the one who spoke to them and saw the same woman that healed their wounds a few days ago, "A-Aeris?!" The flower-girl walked towards them and smiled, "I'm glad to see you again Alphonse Elric. And you to, Edward." Ed blushed and said, "You're that girl who used...magic to save me." Aeris nodded and gave Edward and Alphonse two bottles of Potions, "These should heal you up in no time."

Ed drank his potion and said, "Thanks Aeris, this hits the spot. But what are you doing here? Shouldn't you be with that Leon guy?" Aeris answered, "Leon is the reason I'm here. Edward, he wants to take back Radiant Garden, and the only way we can...is with him."

Aeris and Ed looked at Sora as he rested against the tree...

Ed shook his head, "...he's my friend Aeris. He saved my life, just as I saved his. His intention of sacrificing himself is something I don't want to relive. He'd give his life for you, me, Al, anyone he calls 'friend'. I'm keeping him with me to make sure he never risks his life again. He has a family to return to...and he thinks about others more than himself. You want me to just hand him over to the grim reaper without knowing what's ahead?! I'm thankful for your aid, but I'll be damned if I let you take him!"

Aeris looks at Sora and said to Ed, "He risked his life...for you?" Ed nodded, "...it was Red Water. The toxins were enough to kill me...but he pushed me out of the way. I will never give him the chance to be THAT careless again."

Aeris smiled and said, "He truly IS your bodyguard. (giggle) Then I wish you the best of luck. Take care of each other; this path will lead to many tasks and obstacles that could only be seen in nightmares. But I have faith in you, Edward Elric. You, your little brother, Sora, and the three that remain, will save our world."

Ed and Al were confused, but they smiled and gave her a 'thumbs up'. Aeris then turns to Marcoh and bows, "I've heard of your kindness, Doctor. Please give this to Sora when he wakes up." Marcoh nodded, "Y-yes mam."

As Aeris left, Ed smirked, "The lady's a head-case." Al then asked, "What do you think she meant by 'the three that remain'?" Ed replied, "Your guess is as good as mine Al." Ed then pulled something out and gave it to Marcoh, "Here, Grand dropped this after he dropped dead." It was the small red gem that Grand took after he arrested Marcoh and the Elrics. Marcoh asked, "But, isn't this what you're after? This stone's power can change you and your younger brother back to normal; you could've taken it for yourself-"

Ed interrupted, "-And believe me, the old me would've done just that. But I remembered all the smiles from the people who knew you. You helped them through so much, and they loved you for it. The way I see it, you belong to them as much as that stone belongs to you." The doctor looked at the stone and placed it in his pocket.

Ed walked towards Sora and said, "Sleeping like a baby? Not on my watch."

(WACK)

"HEY, WAKE UP, YA SLACKER!"

"(yawn)...Ed? W-wait, where's Scar?!" Sora asked as he stood up. Ed replied, "He's dealing with some extra muscle. So while that's going on, how's about we get out of here before he catches up?" Sora nodded and said, "Well first things first, we've got to find a safe place where Marcoh can't be found by that killer." Ed then said, "Leave that plan to me! For now, let's get going."

Marcoh then asked, "...you think you can escape?" Ed smiled and said, "...you've got legs, don't you? Let's put'em to work!"

Hours went by as the group went into hiding from the serial killer. As they ran, Ed thought of a plan to keep Scar occupied, by calling for someone who could help...

At East City, the First Lieutenant, Riza Hawkeye, was writing some papers when she received a phone call. She picked up the phone and asked, "This is the Eastern HQ of the Amestris Military. First Lieutenant, Riza Hawkeye speaking. ...Sora? ...Now Sora, we've talked about this, call me Hawkeye. ...WHAT? ...the Scarred Man is in Destiny Islands?!"

"Yes ma-uh, Hawkeye. He's recently killed the Iron Blood, Brigadier General Grand, and is now after the Fullmetal! ...why was Grand here? Well...he...I don't know how to tell you. ...yes, get the colonel, he has to know about this to."

Inside Destiny Islands, in a restaurant, the Elrics and Marcoh were having some dinner while Sora called the Amestris Military.

Ed bit into his burger and said, "Mmm-MMM! Oh God, Al, when I restore your body, I'm taking you here for sure!" Al laughed and said, "Geez brother, you sure are eating your fill, aren't you?" Ed replied, "Why not?! After all the crap we went through today, I believe I deserve a decent meal!" The restaurant owner yelled, "Milk's decent for someone in your shoes, dwarf!" Ed yelled back, "DID YOU JUST MAKE A JOKE AT MY SIZE?! I'LL SUE, YA HEAR?!"

"ED, SHUT UP!" said Sora, Alphonse, and the customers.

Sora sat down with Marcoh and the Elrics and said, "...OK, Mustang's coming to track down Scar." Marcoh felt surprised, "Y-you called the military?!" Sora explained, "Relax doctor, Scar will be distracted by the military while the Elrics find you a place to hide. I'll stay behind to make sure no one finds you guys. It was all Ed's idea."

Marcoh looked at Ed with a grim look, "The Amestris military used my research for death and destruction, and you're bringing them here?! THEY'LL BE LOOKING FOR ME AS WELL, YOU KNOW?!" Ed shook his head, "Calm down Doc, these guys don't know you're here. They'll be too busy finding Scar. Meanwhile, the three of us will be looking for a new place for you to hide." Sora then said, "And while they do so, I'll cover for the Elrics, saying that Scar is still chasing them, and they're currently hiding. It's flawless!"

Marcoh sighed and said, "...I hope you boys know what you're doing."

After the group finished their meals, they went outside, where Sora said to the Elrics, "I was wondering...Ed, shouldn't we try to save that 'muscle-guy' who faced Scar?" Ed replied, "Well, he didn't seem to care about Marcoh being with us...maybe he's like Mustang." Sora crossed his arms and said, "Hmm, his name was...Armstrong. Ed, why don't I save him while you guys get going?" Ed asked, "Well, you could distract the military from Marcoh if you started from there..."

Sora then looked at Marcoh and said, "By the way doctor, I forgot to ask...do you know where any other Y. O. U. T. H. child could be?" Marcoh replied, "I wish I did Sora, but I have none to tell you about. But...maybe if you try..." Al asked, "What is it Dr. Marcoh?" Marcoh explained, "A girl...she recently came around the meadow near my house. She seemed odd...her clothes, her hair color, the way she gazes at the sun, the clouds, the moon; she was truly an odd one. Perhaps she might have some knowledge on your friends, Sora." Sora smiled and said, "Thank you doctor. This might be the clue I needed."

Ed then said, "Alright, let's move out. Al, Doc, let's go." Al waved at Sora, "Good luck, Sora!" Sora gave a 'thumbs up' and ran off while the Elrics and Marcoh went off into town...

Sora then thought, _Wait, didn't Mustang tell Ed where__ to find Marcoh? Well, maybe it's best if Marcoh didn't know. The news would make him distrust us after all_.

Sora rushed back to where Scar fought with Armstrong and saw a grim scene. "A cave in, damn it...Scar killed another." Sora said as he looked down in shame. Suddenly, he heard something moving in the rubble. Sora said to himself, "Someone's trapped! Maybe..." Sora ran towards the sound and started to move large debris out of the way.

Sora called out, "Whoever's in there, don't worry, I'm coming!" Sora kept throwing debris away, and when he was finished, he sighed in relief, "Cool, your still with us!" It was a weakened Armstrong who was trying to get out of the debris. Armstrong looked up and saw the face of his rescuer, "You...you were with the Elrics. Could you be their bodyguard, Sora?" Sora nodded and said, "Yep, No. 516, in the flesh. Can you stand?" Armstrong replied, "Nothing the Armstrong Line can't-!" As Armstrong tried to get up, his leg slipped, making him fall down, but luckily, Sora caught him.

Sora then said, "There's a hospital nearby, I'll take you there while Mustang and the rest of the reinforcements arrive." Armstrong asked, "You called for back-up?" Sora nodded, "Well, we ARE dealing with an alchemist killer, right?" Armstrong was silent for a while, so Sora asked, "What is it?" Armstrong answered, "That man...he's an Ishbalin."

"_**An Ishbalin**_, are you sure?" Sora asked. Armstrong answered, "Yes, I'm sure of it. I saw his red eyes and dark skin. I know the man chasing the Elrics is from Ishbal, I even confronted him about his god!" Sora's face was filled with terror, _An Ishbalin...the killer? I haven't heard or seen an Ishbalin for a while, all I knew was that the entire Ishbalin race was wiped out during the Ishbal Rebellion! Yet__ one was standing right there, ready to kill any alchemist that bore the uniform. But now it's clear why he's __killing State Alchemists..._

As Sora took Armstrong to the hospital, Ed and Al were taking Marcoh through the streets. After two days, the Elrics and Marcoh stopped near a large alley. Ed then said, "The colonel and his troops should be looking for Scar tomorrow morning. By then, we'll get you somewhere safe."

Just then, Marcoh stopped after seeing innocent children playing out in the alley. Marcoh looked down and said, "I can't do this. I've run away from it long enough, I won't do it now. Not even if that man kills me. How can I when it's something I deserve?" Edward then asked, "I'm missing the connection, Doc. Why do you deserve death if the guy came from Ishbal?"

"It's because of the rebellion, right?"

Alphonse continued, "Ed told me that Mustang was sad about that to, but why? Ishbal started that war because of their difference of opinion. They lost lives, and so did the military." Ed then said, "If all of us wanted revenge for losing a war, then there'd be no end to it. It'd be an endless cycle without a point." Marcoh shook his head, "You're not listening. That was no war..."

"**It was a massacre.**"

End of Chapter 68

* * *

**Next Chapter, Marcoh reveals the hidden truth of the Ishbal Rebellion while Sora receives orders...and advice... **

**Please Comment.  
**


	69. Chapter 69

**Last time, Scar's attack on Sora, Marcoh, and the Elrics was put to a stop by Alex Louis Armstrong, the Strong-Armed Alchemist, who used powerful Earth Alchemy to attack the Alchemist Killer. But during the conflict, Armstrong uncovers an astounding truth, Scar was related to a race of people called the Ishbalins, who were believed to have been wiped out by the military...**

**Back outside, Edward and Alphonse gave Marcoh some time to rest when Aeris came to greet them and heal them with a few viles of Potions. Aeris however wasn't just paying the Elrics a visit, but she was also there to bring Sora to Leon, so they could try and regain their old home, Radiant Garden. Knowing Sora's willingness to put his life in danger for his friends, Edward wouldn't accept Aeris's request. So the flower girl smiled and left, but not before hinting to them that 'The Three That Remain' will join them in an event that would save their world...  
**

**After Sora woke up, he and the Elrics planned their next moves. While the Elric Brothers try to find a safe place for Marcoh to hide, Sora would keep the military occupied, leading them away from Marcoh while they track down Scar. Marcoh then informed Sora about a possible lead to the other Y. O. U. T. H. Assassins, a strange-looking girl who sits alone in a field of grass near Marcoh's old home.  
**

**After Sora separated from the group, he came across Armstrong, who had survived his encounter with Scar. But the giant was unable to pursue the killer due to his injuries, so Sora took him to the nearest hospital.  
**

**As for Edward and Alphonse, Marcoh decided that it was time to stop running from his problems, which began during the Ishbal War. But when Ed asked why he felt so guilty, Marcoh confessed the truth... **

**The war he was in was really a massacre!  
**

**Warning: Kingdom Hearts and Fullmetal Alchemist are both licensed by Square-Enix. The secondary licenses for both franchises are Disney (Kingdom Hearts), Aniplex, Bones Inc., and Funimation (Fullmetal Alchemist). **

******************PS: There will be spoilers.**  


* * *

Fullmetal Kingdom: The Fanfic

Chapter 69: The Ishbalin Massacre

In the hospital, Armstrong was resting in his bed while Sora watched the town through the window. Armstrong then asked, "The Elrics are with Marcoh, aren't they?" Sora didn't respond, instead, he kept his eyes focused outside. Armstrong then said, "I see, if you wish to be silent, then it is only natural since the Elrics probably told you to do so." Sora then said, "For your information, I chose to keep quiet about that."

Armstrong was amazed at what he heard, "So...it's true then. You are unique from your brothers and sisters in Y. O. U. T. H. You still have a mind and soul of your own." Sora then said, "It's not like I'm the only one with free will. There are others, they just choose to be obedient when they're called for a mission." Armstrong then asked, "But there were some that seemed empty. Do they also possess feelings of their own?"

"...no."

Armstrong apologized, "Forgive me, I didn't mean to say that." Sora then said, "It's alright, agents like that passed some final test. I haven't heard what that test was, but it was supposed to make us into a more powerful assassin. But I missed the test on the required date, so the doctors laughed at me and called me a failure. It was funny, a few friends of mine passed that test, and when I saw them again...it was like the life was sucked out of them, like there was no reason to live but to serve and kill."

Armstrong then asked, "Do you regret not taking the test?" Sora smiled and answered, "Nope, I'm glad I didn't. If I became like that, I'd probably break the promise I made to a good friend of mine." Armstrong then asked, "Who is this friend?"

"Major!"

To Sora and Armstrong's surprise, Colonel Mustang and his troops arrived. Sora saluted his superior, "It's good to see you sir. Shall I report the situation?" Mustang replied, "That's not necessary, Sora. I know the Elrics are harboring Marcoh." Sora smirked, "Hmph, why am I not surprised?" Mustang answered, "Because I've been known to keep secrets, specifically, the ones about Marcoh hiding from the military."

Mustang's grin went away as he proceeded to ask, "So Sora, we've found Grand..." Sora nodded, "Yes sir, he was killed by someone with dark skin, white hair, and a scar on his forehead." the colonel gritted his teeth, "So Scar is here..."

Armstrong then said, "There's more, colonel. Scar is an Ishbalin."

Mustang felt shocked and asked, "An Ishbalin?! Are you sure?" Armstrong nodded, "When his sunglasses broke, I saw his red eyes. He even spoke of how his God gave him the power to rid the world of State Alchemists." Sora then said, "He can back that up with his arm. I saw his right hand sir, it glowed red and killed Grand like he was a rookie."

"Then we have no time to lose."

To Sora's surprise, Fuhrer King Bradley entered the room with his secretary. Sora quickly saluted him while everyone else did as well. Bradley then said, "No more running away colonel! Hunt this maniac down! Sora, I'm counting on you to do the same!" Sora, Mustang, and every other soldier yelled out, "SIR YES SIR!"

Back in the large alley, Marcoh continued his story of the Ishbal War...

"The people of Ishbal are an ethnic tribe in the east. They worshiped their god, Ishbala as the one and only creator. They believed in different histories and saw the world with a different lens. Our world of sulphate and nitrogen, science and math, we believed that everything could be explained with numbers and truths, and Equivalent Exchange was our true sacred law. But to them, Alchemy is a perversion of the world God gave us. They called alchemy the 'devil's miracle', believing that it corrupts men and that it was an evil plot by the demons of Hell to replace Ishbala as their one true God. As a result of our collisional misuse, resistance movements would pop up from time to time."

"And then, the days of light were darkened by a careless accident. During a house inspection, an officer of the military accidentally shot and killed an Ishbalin child."

Ed and Al were shocked, so Ed asked, "They...killed a kid?" Marcoh nodded and continued, "The incident became a rally of hatred and vengeance. Massive riots and uprisings broke out all over the region. Women, children, families, it was too much...too fast. The military couldn't control its soldiers, and the chaos made fuel for the fires that were to come. It escalated into a full-scale rebellion that lasted for 7 years, until the fuhrer had enough. He sent in the problem solvers..._**the State Alchemists.**_ However, back when he was colonel, Grand didn't want to just 'end' the war...he wanted to eliminate the people of Ishbala. So he demanded the only weapon that could guarantee their deaths..."

Ed then asked, "So...Is that how Grand knew so much about your research, because you used it?"

Marcoh's eye had a small tear come down...

Ed sighed, "...so how did the Ishbalins respond to your weapon?" Marcoh replied, "They didn't. Every gathering point of the Ishbalins was found and obliterated by the State Alchemists. They were all wiped out in a single night."

"AGH, my ankle!"

The Elrics noticed one of the children playing nearby. The boy twisted his leg and screamed in pain.

Marcoh rushed to the boy's aid, "Here, this should heal it." Marcoh took out the small red stone and in a flash of red light, the boy's leg was all better. The boy bowed, "Th-thank you sir!" The boy then ran back to his friends.

Marcoh walked back to the Elrics and said, "During the war, there were doctors who treated the wounded. It didn't matter to them, Ishbalin or a soldier, they would tend to their pain and stitches with no questions asked. If you were in need of help, they would treat you. However...they were casualties to. The doctors were treating a patient, but that patient was psychologically wounded. He attacked them and left them for dead. Luckily, they were still breathing, they had a chance to survive...but that chance was taken away when...when we killed them."

Ed and Al were disturbed by what Marcoh said, so Al asked, "Wait, why did you-?!" Marcoh answered, "I wasn't the one who pulled the trigger. The one who did was ordered to because of the doctor's refusal to cooperate with the military. We took their lives away just because they wanted to help the sickly and the wounded! The soldier who took the doctors lives was struck with terror and humiliation, so he planned on making amends by pulling the trigger on himself! But I stopped him...because it was MY fault...my burden to carry. So I gave him a way to make amends, I asked him to let me take my research and the Red Water away, never to be used by Grand or anyone else again...but I acted much too late. The people of Ishbal had been largely exterminated. I heard that our military only let a hand-full of them survive."

Ed then said, "It's gram-granted, but that's no reason for him to come after you." Marcoh explained, "...he's an Ishbalin, Edward, he wants revenge. What could be more legitimate?"

Meanwhile, Sora searched through town to find Scar, but thus far, to no avail. "He's somewhere...but where?! Yellow coat, white hair, black pants, he should be easier to find!"

Suddenly, the Keyblade Master noticed someone pass by, someone familiar...

"...was that-?" Sora turned around and followed the mysterious figure. "STOP RUNNING, PLEASE!" The figure stopped, giving Sora some time to take a breather from running all day. Sora then asked, "That emblem on your shoulder...you're from Y. O. U. T. H., aren't you?" The figure nodded, so Sora said, "My name is Number 516. I was recently sold to the State Alchemist, Edward Elric, for protection purposes. What number are you? Are there any other survivors here? Please tell me!"

"...meet me at the sun's favorite place."

Sora asked, "But it's raining! The sun isn't going to show up anytime soon!" the mysterious figure ignored Sora and ran away! Sora sighed and ran after her, "The sun's favorite place? What could she-?"

Sora then noticed a beam of sunlight shining down on a faraway area...

"...meh, good enough."

Sora then proceeded towards the beam of light. He ran for a long while until he arrived at Marcoh's house. And behind the house, Sora noticed the beam of sunlight shining onto a large meadow...

**A girl...she recently came around the meadow near my house.**

As Sora remembered, he realized, "The girl must be a Y. O. U. T. H. orphan!" Sora ran to the meadow, and there, sitting under the sunlight, was the mysterious figure. She heard his footsteps and turned around. Sora then said, "Alright, I'm here! Now please, tell me who you are!"

"_Sooner than memories begin to fray._

_Everything from the past just swept away._

_Remembering when all who have gone are now lost._

_Many paths, many seasons I have seen._

_Time has washed them away just like the sea._

_So many fates and dreams will become tragedies._"

Sora's heart stopped, he recognized the girl, "...you made that prophecy on the day before Maes Hughes adopted me...'The Promised Future', the foretelling of Y. O. U. T. H.'s end at the hands of one of its own. You're the ESP Successor, the greatest fortune teller of our age, Yeul."

The mysterious figure took off her hood and revealed her face to Sora. It was indeed Yeul, Sora recognized her long, light-blue hair, her green eyes, and her unusual headband made from deer antlers. Yeul looked at Sora and said, "You haven't been here for a long time. But I knew you would return." Sora ran to Yeul and smiled, "That's a talent that never stops scaring me."

Yeul smiled and said, "I see you've made many friends along the way, and Tidus has been found. You still have a long way to go, a very long way to go." Sora scratched the back of his head and said, "Yeah, tell me about it! (laughs)...listen Yeul, I need to know if there are any more of us located in Destiny Islands." Yeul shook her head, "Only Edge and I remain here." Sora asked, "WAIT, EDGE IS STILL HERE?!" Yeul nodded, "Yes...apparently, he had a change of heart when that girl was killed."

Sora looked down and said, "...you know everything, don't you?" Yeul replied, "I'm sorry you lost your friend, Sora." Sora shook his head, "It's not your fault. I lost her because I was careless. She stood by me, and I had no idea who she was. Really, Yeul, she pops into my room and tells me that she and I once knew each other! She didn't tell me a thing about my past and now she's gone! How could someone who once tried to kill you, say that she knew you in the past?!"

"Calm down, Sora." Yeul said as she patted Sora on the head. "This is a peaceful place, there's no need to yell and throw fits here; you only need to relax. These flowers look welcoming, so you can sit down and take a breather. Trust me; you can accomplish plenty when your mind is at ease." Sora then asked, "How can you say that?! Y. O. U. T. H. is destroyed, just as you predicted, and I'm nowhere near my goals! By the time I leave, our brothers and sisters will have become followers of Riku, who I still need to find in order to save another friend! I DON'T HAVE TIME TO RELAX!"

"It's because you forgot our ways!"

Sora looked at Yeul, who said to him, "You're starting to give in to grief, when you should be focused on your objective! Remember? Save our friends, protect the Elrics, and live a happy life! You were given this chance to live a normal life with a family who loves you. But you forgot, you lost someone precious to you, and your spirit is broken. Please Sora, try to relax. Just believe in yourself, and the pain will vanish."

Sora took Yeul's advice and sat down on the flowers. Yeul sat beside him and said, "Think about it Sora, you are close, VERY close now. Your goals are approaching you quickly and all you need do to successfully accomplish them is to just believe in yourself, that's all."

Sora started feeling sleepy, so he rested on Yeul's lap, as he rested; Yeul gently rubbed his head, giving Sora a more relaxed feeling. Sora then said, "...I just...need to believe..." Sora then fell asleep, but was awakened by a voice...

"_**I believe in you."**_

"K-KAIRI?!"

Sora came back up and looked around the meadow, but to his sorrow, Kairi was nowhere to be found...And strangely, neither was Yeul.

The rain then started to fall on Sora as the sunlight was covered by the rain clouds. Sora rubbed his head in confusion and said to himself, "W-where did Yeul-?" Sora stood up and walked away from the meadow, but as he did, he kept looking around for Yeul...and Kairi. Sora then said to himself, "Yeul...you told me to believe in myself. So I'll do it! No more sadness! From now on, I'm using my legs, and moving forward with Edward and Alphonse. There's a killer on the loose, and I will stop him!"

But when Sora walked back into town, he couldn't help but look back at the meadow and think, _Kairi...did you call me?_

As Sora went back to town, Edward was still furious about Scar's vendetta. Ed crossed his arms and said, "He's dragging in people who had nothing to do with it. How can you talk about legitimacy? He's a fraud, he's on a tirade of personal vengeance, and he hides behind his excuse of God's will so he can claim that it's noble!" Ed fury begged for a reply, so Alphonse spoke, "...still...if someone took you away from me, brother, I think I might do the same thing. Isn't that Equivalent Exchange?"

"NO, THAT'S NOT HOW THE PRINCIPLE WORKS!"

Ed's voice echoed through the alley, surprising Marcoh and Al. Ed continued, "Haven't you learned that yet, Al? Destroying lives...doesn't bring lives back. We all just need to live and be content while we can." the group was silent for a few seconds until Ed noticed Al's arm, "With us running for hours, I almost forgot Scar's mark on your arm." Ed then clapped his hands and changed Al's arm back.

Suddenly, Ed had an idea, "Dr. Marcoh, why don't you let us hide you in our home town for a while? It's just three days on a train from here, right Al?" Al replied, "Hmm, it might be hard on us going back there though." Ed shook his head, "Not at all, we have friends there. Like the **Rockbells**, they make Automail, I'm sure they'll be-"

"R-Rockbell? No I can't-I CAN'T GO THERE! I'm sorry!"

Marcoh's fearful answer left the Elrics speechless, and with that, the frightened doctor ran away! Al tried to call out to him, "Dr. Marcoh? What is it?" Marcoh didn't answer, he just kept running, so the Elrics chased after him.

End of Chapter 69

* * *

**Next Chapter, the Alchemist Killer's wrath is unleashed when he attacks Sora and the Elrics with devastating results...**

**Please Comment!  
**


	70. Chapter 70

**Last time, Sora waited at the hospital with Armstrong until Mustang, Hawkeye and Fuhrer King Bradley arrived and discussed Scar's reasons for murdering State Alchemists, especially the recently passed Basc Grand. Infuriated by Scar's actions, Bradley gave the order to his subordinates to hunt Scar down!**

**Back in town, Marcoh explained to the Elrics why he avoided the Amestris Military, because he blamed himself for almost annihilating the Ishbalins with his creation of the Red Stones. The casualties increased during the massacre when a soldier was ordered to take the lives of two kindly doctors. To atone for the sins commited against the Ishbalins, the soldier allowed Marcoh to leave without anyone knowing. However, the mistakes of the past were the very reasons why Scar followed them to Destiny Islands...for vengeance.  
**

**A few miles away, Sora reunited with one of his Y. O. U. T. H. sisters, a successor to the ESP class, Yeul, who foretold of the day when Sora would be taken by the military and when the orphanage was burnt to dust. Yeul sensed Sora's grief and anger, and persuaded him to relax for a short while. As he did, Yeul told him that Sora was VERY close to finishing his quest, all he needed to do was believe in himself. Suddenly, a familiar voice was heard through the rain...  
**

**It was Kairi!  
**

**Sora searched for any sign of his friend, but she wasn't anywhere in sight, and strangely, neither was Yeul...  
**

**Meanwhile, Edward had an idea of where to hide Marcoh. He thought of hiding the doctor in his old home of Risembool, where the Rockbells, Ed's mechanics, lived to offer and build Automail parts. However, Marcoh's eyes were lit with fear when he heard the name of 'Rockbell', and so, he retrated, making the confused Elric Brothers chase after him...  
**

**Warning: Kingdom Hearts and Fullmetal Alchemist are both licensed by Square-Enix. The secondary licenses for both franchises are Disney (Kingdom Hearts), Aniplex, Bones Inc., and Funimation (Fullmetal Alchemist). **

**********************PS: There will be spoilers.**  


* * *

Fullmetal Kingdom: The Fanfic

Chapter 70: Vengeful Agenda

"Foolish troops, don't think you'll be spared! You're all using weapons of alchemic modifications! GOD JUDGES YOU!" As soon as he heard Scar, Sora rushed to where he was...

(KA-THOOM)

The earth-tearing explosion tore the ground and blew most of the soldiers away; giving Scar the chance he needed to leave. But before Scar had a chance, Sora arrived and yelled, "YOU'VE GOT SOME NERVE SHOUTING CRAP LIKE THAT!" Sora then unsheathed his Avenger and attacked Scar, who simply dodged the attack! Sora ran at Scar again, but the killer was prepared for the Keybearer's plunge, so he grabbed the sword and in an instant...

The Keyblade shatters into pieces!

Sora fell to the ground, and Scar said to him, "You are NOT a State Alchemist...you are NOT one of the sinners...and you are NOT WORTH MY TIME!"

(BANG)

"STAND DOWN NO. 516! This is a fight between us, so don't sacrifice yourself for nothing when you could be using this time to find the Elrics." Mustang's words greatly shocked Sora, so he asked, "...Sir, are you sure?" Mustang nodded and took his gloves out, "Get going Sora, and don't let me down."

Sora saluted his commander and ran to find the Elrics while Scar asked, "So, from the loyalty the child gave you, I guess that makes you Colonel Roy Mustang, the Flame Alchemist?" Mustang replied, "The one and only." Hawkeye then came up to Mustang and said, "Colonel Sir, wait-!" Mustang then said, "It's OK, Lieutenant, I don't need an army to take this tiger to the zoo." Hawkeye tried to explain, "BUT SIR-" "Hold onto this for me." Mustang said as he gave Hawkeye her gun back.

After putting his gloves on, Mustang said to Scar, "I'm awfully sorry about your grievances, but NO ONE attacks my men." Scar readied his right hand and said, "Yet another soul who departs from God's path. Death will be swift." Mustang smiled, "Brave enough to attack the Flame Alchemist? I'll make you a funeral fire..." Hawkeye protested again, "COLONEL!" But to no avail, as Scar ran at Mustang. The colonel prepared to light Scar like a firecracker, when suddenly, "STUBBORN MAN!" Hawkeye kicked Roy down, pulled out her guns, and sent a barrage of bullets in Scar's way.

Scar jumped out of the way and ran into an alley. As Hawkeye reloaded, Mustang angrily said to her, "That's no way to get promoted Hawkeye!" Hawkeye then said, "Relax sir, I just saved your life. With this rain falling, your flames wouldn't have been any good." "Guess that makes you useless, huh colonel?" Asked Havok. Mustang then froze in shame and sorrow, "(wines) I-I'm not useless!"

Hawkeye then realized, "Sir, Scar is following Sora!" Mustang stood up and said, "He's a quick thinker, huh? After him, NOW!" The soldiers nodded and proceeded into the alley. The colonel then said, "Breda, go to the train station and wait for Fullmetal!" Breda asked, "Huh?! Why me?!" Mustang explained, "Because the Fullmetal is trying to get Marcoh out of Destiny Islands. His best chance is either by foot or by train, we'll be covering both, so you might as well take the train station, while Havok covers the outside of the town." Havok then asked, "Wait, what?"

Meanwhile, Ed and Al were running after Marcoh. Ed still wondered how the name 'Rockbell' would frighten the old doctor, but he decided to leave the matter on hiatus until Marcoh was no longer fearful of him and Al. Marcoh was getting tired, so he stopped to take a breather. Ed finally caught up and said, "Wait Marcoh! It's your call; we don't have to go to anywhere you trust. We aren't trying to steal your research or anything-" Marcoh shook his head, "No Ed, it's not that I don't trust you. There are...other reasons I can't go with you...I'm a stained man-"

Suddenly, Scar jumped down between the Elrics and Marcoh! Scar was surprised that he found them so easily, and before Sora did. Never the less, he darted at Marcoh! Alphonse grabbed Scar by the arm, but the Ishbalin man simply batted him away and said, "Don't think I haven't heard of you, Alphonse Elric! A boy cursed with a hollow shell by his sinful brother. You got off with a scratch, but this time..." Red sparks then came out of Scar's arm, and then he charged at Al...

"**This attack was made **_**JUST FOR YOU!**_"

Scar's arm broke through Al and shattered a large portion of his body!

Sora meanwhile was still running through the alley when he heard Ed's voice.

"ALPHONSE!"

"...no...NO!" Sora's heart felt grief the same way it felt when Kairi was shot to death, so he ran as fast as he could to try and stop the Alchemist Killer!

Ed threw a punch at Scar, but the killer grabbed the fist and said, "You lost your real arm after trapping your own brother's soul in that empty suit of armor. So you had a false arm grafted onto you in order to continue using your hieratic gifts. Without this arm, you cannot clap your hands and summon more abominations! **THAT** is your weakness!"

And in that instant, Scar destroys Ed's Automail Arm!

As the Fullmetal fell in his defeat, Al called out, "BROTHER! Please brother, RUN, get up and run!" Scar said to him, "Before you depart from this world, I will give you a moment to pray." Ed angrily replied, "_Save i__t_, I stopped believing in him a long time ago!" Scar shook his head in disappointment, "A pity, you would've made it easier." Scar reached out to Ed with his right hand, but before he did, Ed asked, "...you said you had a brother, right?" Scar answered, "Correct Fullmetal, I had a brother. But he was taken by a State Alchemist."

"Well I'm the oldest brother, so take my life and go. That's an Equivalent Exchange for my brother's life, don't you think?" Scar was almost surprised at what Ed requested, even Al was shocked, "Brother, what are you saying?! You said it yourself, 'a life doesn't equal another-'" Ed yelled, "Stay out of this Al; I'm doing what's fair!" Ed looked back at Scar and said, "He's not a State Alchemist. I should be enough." Ed begged, "Please...my life for my brother." After a few moments of silence, Scar accepted Ed's request, "I promise before God, I will not harm your brother. But you should listen to his words Fullmetal, the life you offer me is not a fair exchange. There is NOTHING in this world that will equal the loss of my brother and my people! **NOTHING** WILL MAKE IT EASIER TO BEAR!" Ed then asked, "Really? Then why are you murdering those people?" Scar ignored Ed's question and prepared his right hand to kill Edward...

Al tried to reach out to Ed, but as hard as he tried, he couldn't move close to stop the alchemist killer. He cried, "_BROTHER, GET AWAY FROM HIM! YOU CAN'T DO THIS, WE'RE ALL WE'VE GOT, ED, __**WE'RE ALL WE'VE GOT!**_ ...I don't want this..._**NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!**_"

Just then, Sora jumped out and tackled Scar, then kicked him away! Scar stood back up and said, "You have no weapon, yet you still stand by the sinners?!" Sora replied, "_**I don't need a weapon to TEAR YOU APART!**_" The bodyguard ran at Scar, and ducked as soon as Scar reached out at him with his right hand! Sora then punched Scar in the gut as hard as he could and threw him onto the street. Sora then followed with a massive kick to the chin!

As Scar was bleeding, Sora walked towards Ed and stood in front of him and Al. Sora then yelled, "You should be praying for a miracle you psychotic creep! Assuming the REAL God would give you one after what you did! Here's a history lesson for you, God sent Adam and Eve to Earth to start the race of man. Man committed sin when Kane killed his brother, Abel. Slavery came to an innocent civilization when Egypt whipped them and forced them to create their idols and pyramids. And God sent Moses on a tragic crusade to save his own people. Lives were cursed, poisoned, and finally, TAKEN by the Angel of Death! And you know something funny? God didn't want his creations at war with one another! He never intended brothers to kill one another, or men to make slaves out of children! And his grief forced him to make an ultimatum, by showing the Pharaoh his faulty by taking his only son! God never commanded man to murder one another, and here you are on a supposed crusade commanded by your lord and savior! Get the point? God doesn't start a war, mankind does! And that's precisely what you're doing by killing these people!"

"SILENCE, you don't know what you're saying!" Scar tore the ground with his right arm and formed a pathway of destruction that came right at Sora and the Elrics. Sora quickly picked up Al, and he, Ed, and Marcoh ran away to escape the attack! "_Pick up the pace, he's coming!_" Sora said to Edward, but Ed replied, "_**I would if you were**__**SLOWER THAN **__**ME!**_"

Scar chased the group through the alley and used the power of his right arm to form a wall to stop them, but Marcoh swiftly used the small Red Stone in his pocket to remove the wall and form another one to block Scar! The group stopped in the middle of the street, and Sora said to Ed, "That won't stop him." Ed nodded, "Tell me something I don't know."

(BRA-KOOM)

Scar obliterated the wall and walked towards his prey, "No soldier, let alone a child of Y. O. U. T. H., could EVER understand God's ways. The power I possess was granted by God, who witnessed the cruelty of the Ametris military. And for your punishment, he sent me, one of many who suffered because of you!" Sora placed Al down and said, "The Elrics and I weren't in the war, and Marcoh left the military because of what they did to your people, yet you still want us dead? Alright, I'll play your game...**Let's end this.**"

Scar then ran at Sora, and Sora ran at him, with a fist ready to plant. But before Sora and Scar could attack one another, the Alchemist Killer's right hand started to glow. The glowing seemed to hurt Scar as he cradled his arm. To everyone's amazement, it was Marcoh who was helping Sora. Marcoh used his Red Stone to somehow inflict pain on Scar. So Ed asked, "Dr. Marcoh, what are you doing?! Don't you have any common sense?! YOU SHOULD BE LONG GONE BY NOW!"

Marcoh focused the stone on Scar and said, "I investigated some ancient text, just like your people from Ishbal. I remembered discovering the alchemic drawing tattooed on your arm. This may be flawed, but it IS a Philosopher Stone, and sure enough, your arm is responding!" Scar roared, "DON'T SAY THAT, YOU KNOW NOTHING!" Ed then wondered, "The stone...it's making that reaction? Dr. Marcoh, what's going on? Is there a different way of using the stone?"

Before Marcoh could answer, Scar ran towards him with the intention of killing him and destroying the stone in his hand. But the old doctor threw the stone into Scar's right arm, and as he did, the stone went into the Alchemist Killer's arm, inflicting tremendous pain! Sora finally found his chance and gave Scar a devastating right hook in the jaw!

Scar became infuriated, so he kicked Sora down, pressed his foot against the bodyguard's chest and yelled, "_YOU'VE BECOME A PUPPET OF THE STATE, LEAVING BEHIND__ ALL YOU ONCE KNEW AND LOVED, __**SO IT'S ONLY FITTING THAT YOU DIE ALONG WITH THEM!**_" Ed tried to tackle Scar, but before he could...

(BANG)

A bullet went through Scar's right hand! But the wound healed back up thanks to the alchemic properties of Scar's hand. Scar turned around and saw a large number of soldiers aiming their rifles at him. Scar knew that he was no match for them in his current condition, so he improvised...

(BRA-KOOM)

Scar destroyed a large portion of the road, creating a hole to escape! Sora clenched his fist and said, "I'm going in!" But before he could, Hawkeye grabbed Sora by his hood and shook her head. Mustang then said, "Don't follow him Sora. You've succeeded in keeping the Elrics safe. That's all I needed you to do." Sora sighed and nodded, "Y-yes sir."

Sora then turned to Hawkeye and said, "Thank you for saving my life, Hawkeye. I thought he was going to kill me." Hawkeye's eyes widened as she said, "Sora, what are you talking about? We just arrived to save you and the others." Sora then said, "But you shot Scar's arm." Hawkeye explained, "No, I didn't. As I said, we had just arrived." Sora wondered, "But if you didn't...then who-"

Just then, Sora saw a shadowy figure in the rooftops. Sora ran closer to see who it was, but the figure ran away! Sora chased the shadowy figure and yelled, "Wait, please!" But the shadowy figure didn't stop; the figure kept running until a gun came from the figure's arm and shot a few rounds at Sora's feet!

The Keybearer stopped, and watched as the figure disappeared. Sora then yelled, "IF YOU CAN HEAR ME...THEN THANK YOU! I OWE YOU ONE!" But before he left, the hooded figure tossed him something, his keychain. Sora remembered that it was the same one that King Mickey gave him in Lior. As Sora smiled and returned to his group, the figure said, "You never owed me anything Sora, I was glad to do it."

Sora walked back to his superiors and reported to the colonel while Ed came to Al's side and asked, "Say something Al, are you still with me?" Al replied with a punch to Ed's face, "_**YOU IDIOT!**_" Ed then asked, "W-what was that for?!" Al replied, "Why didn't you run away when I told you to?!" Ed answered, "Because 'Steel-for-brains' then he would've killed you!" Al argued, "So you decided to die instead?! That's really smart!" Ed yelled, "DON'T CALL YOUR BROTHER AN IDIOT, IDIOT-!" Suddenly, Al grabbed Ed by the collar, frightening him, "...that's NOT how we do things. LIVE and be content while we can, LIVE to research more alchemy, so we can find a way to change back! That is how we do things, brother. Dying, and dying by yourself, AND LEAVING ME ON MY OWN?! That's something I WON'T let you do!"

Suddenly, the arm Al used to grab Ed fell off, making Al yell, "Oh, this is just perfect! Now my arm's fallen off to! Today is a terrible day!"

"We're really falling apart on the scenes, everyone who sees us...must think we're a joke." Ed said as he smiled. Al calmed down and said, "But we're alive, aren't we?" Ed nodded, "Yeah...we are." As the Elrics sat in the rain, Mustang was approached by the fuhrer's secretary, Juliet Douglas, "I have orders to take Marcoh into the fuhrer's custody. He assures you that the doctor won't come to any harm."

Sora asked, "Is that right? Sorry Ms. Douglas, this man can't go with you. He's been exposed to the military for-" Just then, Marcoh patted Sora on the back, "It's alright Sora, it's like I told the Elrics, I can't go with them...not to Risembool." Sora was surprised, "R-Risembool, they said that?!" Marcoh nodded, and then he looked at Ed and said, "You see Ed...Your hometown isn't a place that I'd be welcome." Ed then asked, "W-wait, why not?!" Marcoh answered, "The two doctors we executed in Ishbal..."

"**Their names...were Rockbell.**"

The streets went silent as Marcoh uttered the truth. And so he left with the secretary, but not before dropping something in Sora's hand. Sora looked and saw a small ball of paper in his hand. As he wondered what it was for, the doctor entered the secretary's car, "Let's get going sir." Al suddenly noticed something about the secretary's voice and said, "Brother, I think I just heard mom's voice!" Ed laughed and said, "Come on Al, you just had a brush with death. Don't go unstable on me now."

The car drove off, and Sora thought to himself, _R__isembool...Riku's challenged me there...and it turns out the Elrics lived there once. This can't be coincidence...can it?_ The Keybearer then opened the ball of paper and read a small message...

_**Edward ~ Follow the genuine truth behind the truths. ~ Tim Marcoh**_

Sora wondered, "A truth behind a truth? Marcoh...what does this mean?"

Meanwhile, Riku steps into a dark location and asked, "...what do you want?" Then, out of the darkness, came a hooded figure, who said to him, "I want you to realize your full potential..." As the hooded figure spoke, alchemic markings filled the room, and Riku smiled as the figure spoke to him...

"So…THAT'S what I need to win…good."

End of Chapter 70 and the Truths Arc

* * *

**Next Chapter, ?**

**Please Comment?  
**


	71. Chapter 71

**Sora rushed back downtown to confront a vengeful Scar, who tore through a wave of soldiers with his immeasurable power! The Keyblade Master confronted Scar, but to his shock, the alchemist killer destroyed the Avenger, rendering Sora's Keyblade useless! Mustang stepped in to buy Sora some time and find Marcoh and the Elric Brothers, but when Sora went to find them, Scar followed in hot pursuit!**

**Edward finally caught up with Marcoh, who was about to confess his reasons for running when Scar arrived and demolished a huge portion of Alphonse's body! Ed tried to fight back, but his Automail Arm became Scar's latest victim! Seeing no way out, Edward begged Scar to spare his brother's life and just take his instead. But before Scar could kill the Fullmetal, Sora attacked, and the two were thrown into a final showdown to the death! Thus far, it seemed that Scar would be triumphant, until the military arrived and outnumbered him. So to make his escape, Scar demolished the street and escaped through the sewers!  
**

**Afterwords, Juliet Douglas, the fuhrer's secretary, came to take Marcoh into custody. Though Sora, Edward, and Alphonse were against it, Marcoh decided to go with her. He then confessed why he wouldn't go to Risembool, because the two doctors that were executed...had the name Rockbell.  
**

**Knowing this made Edward silent while Marcoh dropped something off for Sora. It was a secret message that spoke of 'The Truth behind Truths'...  
**

**Warning: Kingdom Hearts and Fullmetal Alchemist are both licensed by Square-Enix. The secondary licenses for both franchises are Disney (Kingdom Hearts), Aniplex, Bones Inc., and Funimation (Fullmetal Alchemist). **

**************************PS: There will be spoilers.**  


* * *

Fullmetal Kingdom: The Fanfic

Chapter 71: Thin Ice

In the Bleeding Continent, Crimson walked through the empty village nearby his castle. He was watching Sora's progress in Destiny Islands while humming to himself. He then noticed Sora reading something, and magnified the image so he could read what was on the paper.

_**Edward ~ Follow the genuine truth behind the truths. ~ Tim Marcoh**_

"Hmm...A truth behind a truth...?! A secret hidden behind the truths...truths made up by the military...meh, I got nothing." Crimson said as he kept walking. He then said to himself, "Whatever the meaning to that message is, it might be important to the Fullmetal! This truth must have some connection to what the boy is seeking...the Philosopher Stone. Then again, it's probably something else entirely..."

Crimson shrugged and walked back towards his castle. He then said to himself, "I've already tested the Keyblade Master and his potential. He can easily kill any dark forces that invade the body, whether it's a human, a Homunculus, or otherwise...And he can use elements through his own emotions. The Fire Spell was easy for an angry wizard, but the Keybearer has yet to understand the others...The boy is also protective of his friends, including the Y. O. U. T. H. children, who recently went rouge due to a crazy lad by the name of Riku. His powers are growing, he's extremely loyal, and his skills are improving...basically, his Keyblade can expel negative forces! Hmm...I wonder if...the true function of the Keyblade. Can he learn it? Perhaps...but first...I may need to tell him...about THAT."

"...yes...THAT I can do!"

"Yo, boss-man! We've been wait'n for hours! Ya got a new plan or not?" Mortimer asked as he was playing with hi kain. Crimson whispered, "_Erase._" and then, Mortimer dropped through a hole! Mortimer asked, "HEY, WHAT DID I DO?!" Crimson replied, "You annoyed me. Oh but don't fret, I'll get you out in 3 seconds."

"Then what's taking so-" Before Mortimer could finish, a foot made by the earth quickly booted Mortimer out! While Mortimer was kicked out, Crimson counted, "...2...3. Ah there you are."

Mortimer then said, "Well before you get any more ideas, you should know that we've got a problem with the Eastern Liberation. Their founding leader, Isaac, just came back!" Crimson grunted, "Is that right? Well why don't we check in with the family?" the Golem King waved his hand and summoned a dark portal. As he walked in, he looked back and said, "Tell Pete that I have some business to attend, and the Phantom Blott'll be in charge."

Crimson disappeared through the portal, leaving Mortimer alone. But a sneer came up on the rat's face, "(chuckle) Oh yeah, I'll tell'em alright."

As Mortimer walked back to the castle, the Eastern Liberation HQ was filled with gossip about their leader's return...

"It's the Freezer, I'm telling you! He's back!"

"Impossible! The prison he was put in wouldn't just let him run off free!"

"Well, I heard someone bargained for his release."

"Who's the idiot that set him loose?"

"Well whoever he is, he's already been turned into a human slushie."

"That's right! I remember now, it was Bald who died!"

"The cyclops who hijacked a train? Hmph, should'a known."

"SHUSH, he's coming this way!"

Isaac passed by them with an ill tempered look on his eyes. It almost looked like the Freezer was asking for someone to anger him...

The Freezing Alchemist then yelled out, "Men, I have an announcement!" Everyone looked at their leader as he spoke, "I have spoken with our spies in East City, and they tell me that we have a new leader, that my own men submitted their loyalties to another! Did you all really believe that I would not know of such treachery?!"

One of the liberators spoke, "Please sir, we had no intention of betraying you. We actually wanted to use the Golems to try and break you out! The man who offered the Golems to us had no clue what we were really planning." Isaac wondered, "Is that a fact? Well then, you'll be glad to know that you no longer have to use those things. The Golems are NOTHING compared to the power I now possess!"

"Wow, you're quite the '_**Confident Candice**_', aren't you?"

To Isaac's surprise, a large figure walked through the Freezer's men with a clean path made for him. Isaac looked at the faces of his men and saw fear burned in their eyes. "Ah, the heroic Isaac McDougal, former State Alchemist who bore the nickname 'Freezer'. It's such an honor to meet you." The Freezing Alchemist then asked, "You certainly have a large build, freak. Tell me, are YOU the one who replaced me?" Crimson nodded, "YUP." Crimson's carefree attitude irritated Isaac, who said to him, "Well I appreciate you taking care of my army. Make yourself scarce and leave!"

"Leave? Why? We were just getting acquainted. I would've loved hearing how you acquired that **stone in your pocket.**"

Isaac's nerves were shot as Crimson spoiled the Freezer's secret weapon. Isaac asked, "How...how did you know?!" Crimson chuckled, "Why, I was spying on you, my tense little ice cube. I wanted to know more about a dead man's desire in meeting with you."

"A...dead man? Who are you talking about?" Isaac asked. Crimson explained, "I heard a tale 'bout a pretty li'l vixen who schemed with an overweight beast and a snake in the grass. They spoke of plans and intent so vile, you'd think they were born in a swamp! One included the replacement of a failure, who's schemes backfired the instant the Fullmetal interfered. (Isaac: "The Fullmetal? You mean the-?") Yes, the wee little boy who's arm was clad with steel. Anyway, the next plan was that the replacement would regain the trust of the former's people while boasting about the corruption of the country's arms against war, the Amestris Military. And just like that...the people of Lior were shot to death for a lie."

Isaac clenched his fist in anger, "Military dogs...I've seen their handy-work!" Crimson nodded, "Of coarse you did. And if it wasn't for my boys, you'd be back in prison by now." Isaac then remembered Kadaj, Loz, and Yazoo, "Y-you sent them?!" Crimson answered, "YUP. But as far as schemes go, I must admit, using you as a guinea pig for their Philosopher Stone...geniuses. Pure geniuses! Those Homunculus truly did a fine job of pulling a fast one on the Freezer. But I don't blame you, anyone would've fallen for a disguise like that! I mean, the wrinkles were so convincing. And the preaching act about how 'The Sun God Leto wanted this' or 'you are destined to lead God's army', THAT IS JUST CLASSIC!"

"SHUT UP, I DON'T WANT TO HEAR ANYMORE OF YOUR CRAP!"

The chamber went silent as everyone looked at Isaac and Crimson.

Crimson stared at the Freezing Alchemist with an amused look, "Oooh, look who's the big man, standing up to his bullies. You sir, are a desperate one." Isaac then asked, "And you're annoying. I thought I told you earlier to GET OUT. So since you aren't the listening type..." As Isaac started walking towards Crimson, the Golem King noticed the Freezer's pocket was starting to glow...

Isaac then unleashed a wave of Ice Spikes at Crimson, who simply jumped over them! Crimson then asked, "Are you really so eager for blood? THEN I'LL SHOW YOU MINE!" Crimson then pressed his index finger and his thumb together. He squeezed them as hard as he could until something came dripping down...

"Create."

At Crimson's command, small creatures came out of the pool of black blood and changed into bell-like monsters. Crimson then said, "Your ice attacks are impressive, as well as deadly, so I've taken the opportunity to summon some elemental minions to my side. Now with every Ice attack you send at me, it will be nullified by my pets...the Red Nocturnes!"

The small Golems spat out large balls of flame at Isaac, who jumped out of the way. But as he got back up, he noticed the Fireballs bouncing off the ground and straight back towards him! "Heat seeking, go figure." Crimson said as his Golems shot out more Fireballs. Isaac then transmuted an Icewall to stop the attack. Isaac then said, "Hmph, getting cocky in a fight will get you killed if you don't know your elements! Here's a lesson on Ice, it's frozen water! And as everyone knows, a fire can always be put out with water. You should've known that much! Now it's time for your appointment with the Grim Reaper!"

Just then, Red Electricity emitted from the Freezing Alchemist's pocket and through the ground and surrounded the Golem King! As Crimson watched the alchemic reaction from Isaac's Stone, he was instantly frozen over in a massive coat of ice!

Isaac laughed as he walked towards the Icy prison, "A freak like you would've stood a chance, even with those little puppets you call Golems. You would've thought of the perfect way to shut me up! So what now, eh?! Would you try to smash through the prison with your freakish biceps? Would you take this chance to try and fry me with your harmless little pigeons? WHAT CAN YOU DO AGAINST ME YOU STONE-COLD FAILIURE?!"

(KRA-KOOM)

Without hesitation, Isaac kicked Crimson hard, and watched his frozen body shatter into pieces!

"HA HA HA HA HAAAAAAAA! If you're no match for me, then neither is the Fuhrer! Hell, not even his entire fleet of corrupt soldiers could stop me!" Isaac said as he stomped on the frozen pieces of Crimson. Isaac then turned around and looked at his men. Then with a deep breath, he yelled, "MY FRIENDS, WE NO LONGER HAVE TO BARGAIN WITH DEVILS LIKE HIM! WE NOW HAVE THE POWER, TRUE POWER, TO WIPE THE AMESTRIS MILITARY OFF THE FACE OF THE EARTH! TODAY, WE MAKE WAY TO CENTRAL CITY! TOMORROW, WE CONQUER THE AMESTRIS MILITARY AND THE FUHRER HIMSELF! WITH THIS POWER, _**VICTORY WILL AT LAST BE OURS!**_"

The entire Liberation cheered with their fists, blades, and guns in the air as Isaac repeated, "LIBERATION!" and his army cheered, "LIBERATION!"

But as the army and Isaac cheered, the Freezer started feeling heavy...

The men started to notice the Freezer shaking, trying to stand strong...

Isaac even felt his breathing weaken with every gasp he took...

And to his shock, Isaac saw the shadow under his arms getting bigger, AND heavier...

The Freezer then noticed that the same thing was happening to the rest of his body!

"**Tuckered out?**"

Isaac slowly turned his head over to the left to see who spoke to him...

And to his shock, it was the Golem King himself!

"What's the old saying? 'Don't let your guard...**DOWN**'?"

Isaac then felt his body being pulled down!

(SMASH)

As the Freezer's face met with the pavement, Crimson picked up a small piece of ice from the ground and said, "Hmm, an impressive attempt. I wonder, did your alchemy freeze over my body because it was mostly composed with liquid neutrons? If so, congratulations! I never imagined a former stooge of the state would figure out that almost 70% of the adult human body is composed of water. But then again, I guess you'd have to know these things if you were an alchemist specializing in cold transmutations..."

After the Golem King flipped the ice away like a coin, Isaac asked, "Your body...I destroyed it! HOW CAN YOU STILL BE STANDING-?!" Crimson stomped on the Freezer's face and said, "An eye for an eye! You crush me, and I crush you! As to how I was able to rise from the dead...sorry, that's my little secret. But there is one thing I can tell you about, and that's why you're so tired. See the thing is, you're not. Your body was feeling heavy because of me...or should I say **your own shadow.**"

Isaac then noticed the shadow of his head growing small tentacles...

The small tentacles then took hold of the Freezer's face and pulled him back down! As Isaac's face was covered in scars and dirt, Crimson pulled out a wine glass from his robe, poured in a small amount of wine and explained, "You see Isaac, my 'alchemic' skill is an unnatural superiority over the shadow that hides behind the person, place, AND thing. And it's not just the outer shadow, I can control the inner shadow as well, inside your own body. Did you know the light of a single candle can sometimes be bright enough to shine through the skin? As the candlelight shines over your muscular tissue, the other side is covered in a blanket of nocturnal peace, AKA, the shadow. Through your inner shadow, I was able to make heavier muscle tissue, heavy enough to make you sweat and (sip) 'fall' for my trap."

The Freezing Alchemist growled at Crimson as he threw his glass aside and announced to the liberation, "I was watching Fuhrer Bradley, and it seems he's made plans to leave for Central City. If you REALLY want this man dead, you will leave East City and head to Central! There, you will see your leader crush whatever's left of King Bradley!" The men cheered, and Isaac was furious. He tried to pull himself up, but Crimson then said, "Oh don't worry, you'll be the leader this time." Isaac asked, "Wait...you're giving me back my leadership?" Crimson nodded, "Why not? 'You've been blessed by the Sun God'. So this could be your big opportunity to finally change Amestris for the better."

Isaac's shadow then released him, giving him a chance to move again. But Isaac had other plans, he was about to use his alchemic skills on Crimon for humiliating him...

"Go ahead, 'bonehead'...maybe a second beating will help you understand the role of 'follower' better."

Isaac grunted, "You think I'd follow you? I have the power to crush tens of thousands of armies, including your own!" Crimon smirked, "Well, that has yet to be done. But let me tell you something-" Crimson then wrapped his right arm over Isaac's shoulder and said, "Men of action always die when their mind are occupied with desires. Take my advice, plan ahead, and think for the future, there has to be something you know that you can increase upon. Set the game's rules to your advantage, and you will be untouchable."

After listening to Crimson's advice, Isaac said, "...very well. But if I should fail-"

Crimson interrupted Isaac with a hard pat on the back and said, "ATTA BOY, ICE BABY! Don't let me down!" Crimson then summoned a portal back to his lair. But before he went through it, the Golem King said to the Freezer, "Before I go; a question for you. In exchange for the fuhrer's head, what will you give up?" Isaac replied, "I'd give my life to destroy his! He's gotten away with it for too long!" Crimson turned back to the portal and said, "_**...it's going to be longer...**_"

End of Chapter 71

* * *

**Next Chapter, Sora meets Marcoh one last time before meeting a dangerous new foe...  
**

**Please Comment?**


	72. Chapter 72

**Last time, Crimson pondered about the 'Truth Behind Truths' and Sora's growing abilities when Mortimer arrived to report about the Eastern Liberation's founding leader, Isaac, and how he returned to them. The Golem King decided to see Isaac and left a scheming Mortimer alone...**

**In the secret HQ of the Eastern Liberation, Isaac emerged before his army to reinitialize his status as leader, but to his shock, the current leader, Crimson, arrived and challenged the Freezing Alchemist! Ice Alchemy and Flame collided as the two were seemingly even, but Isaac's Red Stone gave him an unseen advantage as he froze Crimson into a block of ice and shattered him into millions of pieces!  
**

**Isaac and his soldiers cheered at the Red Stone's power, believing themselves to be unstoppable...  
**

**Until Crimson revealed himself, alive and unharmed, while increasing the Freezing Alchemist's bodyweight through his outer (and inner) shadow!  
**

**However, instead of killing Isaac, Crimson reported that King Bradley, their archenemy, was heading to Central City, and he would allow Isaac to take back his army so that they could use their 'new power' and destroy the fuhrer. And with that, the Golem King vanished through a dark portal and left the Eastern Liberation plot...  
**

**Warning: Kingdom Hearts and Fullmetal Alchemist are both licensed by Square-Enix. The secondary licenses for both franchises are Disney (Kingdom Hearts), Aniplex, Bones Inc., and Funimation (Fullmetal Alchemist). **

******************************PS: There will be spoilers.**  


* * *

Fullmetal Kingdom: The Fanfic

Chapter 72: Staying for Brunch

Crimson returned to the Bleeding Continent, hoping to plan his next move carefully. He walked through the dark empty village, thinking to himself, _Well, 'Mr. Freeze' seems committed to giving the Fuhrer a cold grave to sleep in. This could buy me some time in telling the Keybearer about THAT. And when he unlocks the final ability…he'll be ready to use the Keyblade to its fullest potential._

Crimson then barged into his castle and yelled out, "PHANTOM!" The Phantom Blott appeared through a shadow and asked, "Why master, this IS a pleasant surprise. What brings you back here?" Crimson answered, "Well this is our base, isn't it? Why shouldn't I be here?" The Blott explained, "Because Mortimer reported that HE was going to be in charge."

"…_**he did?**_"

The Phantom Blott nods, which infuriates Crimson even further. "Well what course of action would you suggest, master?" Crimson replied, "…I'd suggest grabbing him by his round ears and THROWING HIM INTO THE OCEAN WITH CEMENT BLOCKS TIED TO HIS TREACHEROUS FEET, THEN WE'LL WATCH HIM STRUGGLE FOR AIR UNTIL HIS SKIN TURNS BLUE AND HIS EYEBALLS BURST! But then again…perhaps this could be a suitable punishment for the rat."

"And what kind of 'suitable punishment' would that be master?" asked the Phantom.

Crimson didn't reply, instead, he walked up the stairs while whistling a haunting tune…

Meanwhile, back at Destiny Islands, Sora was meeting with Marcoh inside his assigned room. Marcoh looked at Sora and said, "This is all I can give you. Please understand, I can't reveal anything more." Sora asked, "But doctor, this message doesn't make sense! What is this 'truth' you're talking about? Can this help the Elrics in their search?" Marcoh replied, "It can…but you can't breathe a word of this to anyone other than the Elrics. It's imperative that only the three of you find out the truth hidden behind the truths. Please Sora, I'm counting on you to help them. This might be your only chance to-…"

Marcoh stopped for a few seconds and looked around, making Sora ask, "'Our only chance to-' what?"

Marcoh replied, "…N-nothing, you'll find out soon enough. Just remember, the Elrics are counting on you to support them. If the truth is too much for them…" Sora smiled and said, "Don't worry sir; I'll watch them and keep them safe!" The two shook hands, and Sora left the room, leaving a hopeful doctor alone…

"He won't protect them, you know? He's young, naive, and way out of his league."

Marcoh turned around and saw Lust, who surprised him by piercing his shoulder! Lust then asked, "Screaming won't help, I've already made travel arrangements for that snot-nosed brat to meet his maker. Now to business, what did you tell them?" Marcoh answered, "Nothing that keeps you safe. Those three aren't as weak as you think! They'll find out the truth, and you won't be able to control them-!"

Lust sinks her nail further into the doctor's shoulder and said, "You can find that I can be VERY persuasive. Now…tell me about this 'message' you gave the bodyguard." Marcoh answered, "I won't tell you a thing, and I won't need to…since you're going to die, MONSTER!" Lust then noticed Marcoh drawing a Transmutation Circle with his blood. And before she could act, a large spike came from the ground and stabbed her!

Marcoh took out the woman's sharp nail and staggered to the door, when he heard something disturbing…

"(giggle) Getting physical doctor? That's such a perverted way of starting a first date."

Marcoh turned around and saw Lust tear the spike apart! Lust then brushed off her wound and smiled, "Now…where were we?" Marcoh trembled in fear and asked, "Y-you're really one of them, aren't you?!" Lust then kicked the doctor down and asked, "Do you see the tattoo? That should answer your question. Now it's your turn…to answer mine! _**What message did you give the bodyguard**_?"

While Lust was interrogating Marcoh, Sora was on his way out when suddenly, something pounced on him! Sora opened his eyes and saw…

A certain duck.

"DARN IT, SORA! IS THIS YOUR IDEA OF HEROISM?! KICKING US BACK TO CENTRAL WHILE YOU NEARLY GET YOUR HEAD BLOWN BY A PSYCHOPATH?!" Donald asked as he shook Sora by the coat. Goofy helped Sora up and said, "I'm glad to see you're OK to, but Donald's right! You've got other responsibilities to take into account, including your responsibilities as a Keyblade Master. And remember why Donald and I came here? We came looking for the president of our country, Fantasia. And we can only find him with your help."

Sora pushed Donald off and said, "Sorry guys, but I was bought to be a bodyguard, not a bloodhound." Donald then yelled, "ARG! You're not listening! None of that matters anymore! You are the Keyblade Master, and your destiny is to restore order and peace! Not play 'human shield' for a lost cause!" Sora argued, "For your information, the Elrics are even closer to the Philosopher Stone thanks to a recent clue handed to me by Dr. Marcoh! And when the Elrics bodies are restored, then maybe, I can help you find your friend! So don't get your feathers ruffled for nothing!"

"YOU…YOU'RE LAZY! YOU HEAR ME?! _**YOU ARE LAZY!**_" Donald said as he pointed at Sora.

Donald then said, "I can appreciate you keeping our origins a secret, but there are lives at stake, remember? Citizens are disappearing from Fantasia, and the president's wife wants us to find her husband to make sure he's alright and back at home safely! The more you ignore your duty as the Keybearer, the more lives will be lost!"

"And how far did you get in investigating their disappearance?" Sora asked. Donald answered, "…We found nothing…no clue, no witnesses, nothing! The president had only one clue, the properties of Alchemy. If magic couldn't explain the situation, then alchemy could. And so the president went off into your continent to find some answers! He took the shard of the first Keyblade with him to find the new Master, and when he found you, he would ask for your assistance in finding the missing citizens! So here you are, 'Keyblade Master'. Now we can find the president, bring him home, and get on with finding our friends!"

Sora shook his head and said, "Donald, try to understand. I would help you find him in an instant, but without a clue to his current whereabouts, we'd be searching for days, weeks, maybe for the rest of our lives. Just be patient and keep asking around for your leader, there has to be someone who knows." Donald clenched his fist and yelled, "I'M DONE WITH ASKING THE SAME QUESTION EVERY DAY, I WANT RESULTS!"

Goofy placed his hand on Donald's shoulder, calming him down, and then he looked at Sora and said, "Mickey also told us that he would help you understand your destiny. Since he's not around, it's up to us to help you. So I figured that as long as we stick together, we'll be able to help you through your challenges and provide assistance whenever you needed it. We just need to work as a team, and forget all that hate that comes around us."

Sora asked, "How can you be sure Goofy? We haven't made any progress in finding your friend." Goofy replied, "Now come on Sora, we'll never find President Mickey with that attitude. No frowning, no sad faces, OK? Ya gotta keep your head held high and think positive, right?" Goofy's cheerful face and spirit relaxed Sora a bit, making him wonder, "…no sad faces? You mean I gotta be happy…**like this?**"

Sora then made a silly grin by pulling his mouth open with his fingers while crossing his eyes and flicking his ears with his thumbs.

This in turn, forces great laughter from the two Genomes. Donald asked, "(laughing) WHAT'S THAT SUPPOSED TO BE?! YOU CAN'T JUST MAKE A FACE LIKE THAT, IT'S UNFAIR!" Goofy then said, "(laughing) BUT YA GOTTA ADMIT, THAT'S ONE FUNNY FACE!"

Sora stopped making the face and said, "…Thanks for setting me straight, Goofy." Goofy chuckled and replied, "Anytime, pal! Now let's get back to the others."

"OH NO, YOU MUST STAY A LITTLE MORE!"

Sora and Donald then noticed a large fat person (Gluttony) behind them. After Goofy turned around to see him, Sora asked, "Uh, can we help you with something sir?" Gluttony replied, "Why of course you can. You can stick around for lunch (lick)!" Sora and the Genomes felt disturbed by the fat man's words, so Goofy said to him, "I'm sorry sir, but we aren't interested. We have to be going now." Gluttony's grin got even bigger as he said, "Oh goody, I get to chase you! And when I catch you (giggle) _**I GET TO EAT ALL THREE OF YOU!**_"

Sora was surprised by what the fat man said, so he picked up Donald and yelled, "RUN GOOFY, RUN!" The two started to run, which only excited the gluttonous man. Gluttony started to chase after them while saying, "I'll eat the duck first, then the dog, and finally, the nosy, nosy, OH SO NOSY BOY!"

Gluttony's teeth were getting closer as Sora yelled, "FASTER GOOFY, HE'S GETTING CLOSER!"

(CHOMP)

"MY TROUSERS!" Goofy yelled as he noticed a torn piece of his pants.

"GOOFY, KEEP RUNNING!" Sora yelled.

Goofy then followed after Sora as Gluttony continued pursuing them! "Stop already! I just want something to eat!" Gluttony said, so Sora answered, "Here's an idea, DON'T RESORT TO CANNIBALISM!"

Infuriated, Gluttony picked up a trash bin and tossed it at Sora! Sora then grabbed Goofy and ran as fast as he could, away from the bin as it smashed through the alley in pieces! Sora looked back to see if the fat man stopped chasing them, but his hopes were lost as Gluttony busted through the wreckage and continued coming at them!

"I CAN TELL, YOU'RE GOING TO TASTE WONDERFUL!"

Sora tried running fast to outrun Gluttony, but to the Keybearer's shock, Gluttony was already next to him! He reached for Sora, ready to chow down on the young assassin, but Sora spat in Gluttony's eyes to slow him down! As Gluttony tried to wipe the spit off his eyes, Sora laughed, "'Chao' fatso!"

But just as Sora was getting further away, he tripped over a small pebble and dropped the Keychain while throwing Donald and Goofy away!

As the Genomes tumbled, Sora stood back up and apologized, "Sorry guys! Are you alright?" Goofy gave a peace sign while Donald replied, "We're just dandy, you clumsy oaf! Huh?! SORA, THE KEY!" As Donald pointed, Sora noticed the Keychain behind him, and tried to grab it. But as he reached for it, he noticed something strange…

"Donald, why is the Keychain glowing?"

The Keychain started emitting waves of energy, waves that seemed to be creating ruins on the ground. Goofy and Donald watched in fascination as the ruins kept appearing around Sora. Donald then realized, "This…this looks like…A TRANSMUTATION CIRCLE!"

As the group looked in fascination, Gluttony finished wiping his eyes. He then rushed towards Sora with his mouth hung open, ready to bite off the Keybearer's head!

"SORA!"

Donald and Goofy rushed to Sora to try and save him, but to their surprise, the Keychain lets out a blinding force of light, which engulfs the heroes and Gluttony.

As the light vanishes, Gluttony looked around, confused as to what just transpired. Gluttony then noticed something missing, "Eh?! The food…I-IT'S GONE!" Sora, Donald, and Goofy were no longer in the alley. Gluttony even tried sniffing the area to try and find them, but to his shock, the scent of his prey was gone.

"Not good, definitely not good! Lust told me to eat them, but there's nothing to eat! (wines) Lust won't like this…" Gluttony then headed back to report to Lust. But as he did, a shadowy figure came down from the rooftops and looked around. The figure then ran it's fingers through the ground to find anything relative to a transmutation circle.

The figure then noticed burned etches on the ground and recognized them, "These markings…those three were taken by a **Portal!**"

Elsewhere…

"Ugh, my head…"

Sora woke up and rubbed his eyes. He slowly got back on his feet while placing his hand on his aching forehead and said, "Feels like I was tossed by Cornello into a brick wall! My head's killing me!" Sora then noticed something strange about the area he was in…

The entire place was white, empty, lifeless, and silent…

Sora was shocked to see the empty void of nothingness, but when he turned around, he was more disturbed by what he saw.

"It's…a floating door!" Before the Keybearer, there was a gigantic black door with ruins written all over it, as well as a tree filled with rings and old English names like 'Gabriel' and 'Joseph'. Sora came towards the door, wondering what could be behind it. But suddenly, it opened! And then Sora started to hear laughing children, then he saw millions of eyes opening inside the door, and to his horror, long extensive arms came out and pulled him inside the door!

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAGH!"

As the gate closed, a strange person walked before the door and laughed, "Been a while since I had company…(giggle)"

End of Chapter 72

* * *

**Next Chapter, Sora crosses into a wondrous new world while Edward plans his next destination...**

**Please Comment.  
**


	73. Chapter 73

**Last time, Mortimer Mouse officially took over his master's army, to the chagrin of Crimson, who at first demanded his immediate execution. However, the Golem King had an epiphany at the last minute and decided to punish Mortimer another way...**

**Meanwhile, Marcoh summoned Sora one last time and explained the meaning of the 'Truth Behind Truthes', which could possibly help the Elric Brothers in their quest for the Philosopher Stone. After making Sora promise to look after the two alchemists, Marcoh was left alone...with the sinister Lust, who quickly revealed that she made arrangements for Sora to die. To stop the manipulative woman, Marcoh tried to kill her with alchemy, but shockingly, Lust revealed herself as 'one of them', and continued her interrogation...  
**

**Back outside, Sora met with Donald and Goofy, who were eager to take Sora and search for their president before more citizens of Fantasia vanish!  
**

**However, Lust's friend, Gluttony, appeared before them with the intention of eating them! Sora, Donald, and Goofy ran from the cannibal as fast as they could, but the obese creature was already looming over them! But suddenly, the three were absorbed by a bright light from a Transmutation Circle, leaving Gluttony alone...  
**

**When Sora awoke, he found himself in front of a gateway, riddled with eyes, smiles, and laughter. And to his horror, strange long arms grabbed him and pulled him in!  
**

**Warning: Kingdom Hearts and Fullmetal Alchemist are both licensed by Square-Enix. The secondary licenses for both franchises are Disney (Kingdom Hearts), Aniplex, Bones Inc., and Funimation (Fullmetal Alchemist). **

**PS: There will be spoilers.**

* * *

Fullmetal Kingdom: The Fanfic

Chapter 73: Wonderland

"_**WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA AAAAAA-"**_

Sora was falling though a long tunnel filled with chimneys, tables, lamps, and many other random things. As he fell, he tried clinging onto something to try and avoid crashing down and dying a gruesome death. But he had no luck, the walls were slippery, so he decided to accept his fate and wait for death's welcoming embracement…

But luckily, Sora landed on a floating bed, and landed on the ground!

"Wow, I thought the landing was going to be worse-!"

(SLAM)

Just then, someone landed on top of Sora! It was Donald, who looked down and saw Sora underneath him, "Sora, are you alright?" Sora nodded, but before the two could get out of the bed-.

(SMASH)

"Uh, Donald, where'd ya go?"

Donald and Sora looked up and saw Goofy sitting on top of them. Sora sarcastically commented, "Nice landing there Goofy." Donald then said, "Yeah, great landing. By the way…HOW ABOUT GETTING OFF ME?!" Goofy and Sora jumped off of Donald and helped him up. Donald dusted himself and asked, "So does anyone have an idea of where we are?

Sora took the Keychain out of his pocket and said, "This thing is the reason we're here, but I don't know how it happened. The Keychain glowed for a few seconds, and then…poof, we fell down here." Goofy thought to himself for a few seconds, and then asked, "Do ya think this is a Summoning?" Donald looked at Goofy and asked, "What are you going off about Goofy?!"

Goofy explained, "Well, President Mickey told me once about the special properties of the Keyblade. One of them was the Summoning. A Summoning occurs only when another world is attacked or in danger from something unusual, something that doesn't belong in their world. A Keyblade Wielder and/or Master must answer the Summoning once the threat makes a move, or gravely hurts someone. So we won't be able to go home until the threat in this world has been removed!"

Donald grabbed Goofy by the collar and jerked it back and forth in rage while asking, "YOU MEAN WE CAN'T GO HOME UNTIL SORA SOLVES THE PROBLEM?! WE'RE DOOMED! THERE'S NO WAY THIS AMATEUR CAN SAVE THIS WORLD! HE'S STILL A BAGGY-PANTSED PUSHOVER!" Sora grabs Donald by his coat and asks, "You know, I'm more helpful on the battlefield than you are, 'white meat'!" Sora then throws Donald back on the bed as he heads off with Goofy to find the supposed threat that's looming over the world.

Donald jumps off and yells, "HEY, DON'T LEAVE ME HERE, CHICKEN LEGS! WAIT FOR ME!"

Back at Destiny Islands, inside the military HQ, the Elric Brothers were meeting with Mustang and the other soldiers while waiting for Sora.

Edward grunted, "That scarecrow bailed on us! I'm going out to look for him!" Hawkeye stopped Ed and said, "In your condition? You can't just go running through the streets, Edward. There's a killer on the loose, or have you forgotten what he did to you and Alphonse?" Ed crossed his arms and said, "I-I didn't forget! I know what Scar's capable of."

"So Ed, what's the plan?" the colonel asked. Ed sat in a chair and answered, "Currently, I'm not fit to perform Alchemy without a right arm. And since it's a new Automail Arm I'll need, I'll be heading back home." Al asked, "We're going to Rissembool?" Ed nodded, "Of course, the Rockbells are professionals in the field, and they'll get me fixed up in no time."

Armstrong then said, "Then the only dilemma we face is your younger brother's broken body. LEAVE IT TO ME; I'LL FIX HIM UP NICE AND PRETTY!" Al shook his head, "N-no thank you, I don't need to look pretty!" Mustang then said, "Besides, only the Fullmetal can fix him. He's got a knack for that, but currently, without another arm to help him perform alchemy-." Havok finished Mustang's sentence, "He's just a pipsqueak with a half-assed anger problem."

Ed shook off his need to beat Havok senseless and said, "Now all we need is a bodyguard who won't abandon me like a certain palm-tree-headed prick!" Hughes then said to Ed, "Come on Ed, I'm sure he's on his way right now."

Elsewhere, Sora, Donald, and Goofy walked through multiple doors and entered an empty room, where the trio heard snoring. Sora looked around and noticed a doorknob…with a face! The Doorknob was snoring loudly, so Sora bent down and tried to wake him, "Hey, hey come on pal! Wake up!" The Doorknob woke up and saw Sora's face, and then he asked, "(yawn) Forgive me, I wasn't being at all polite. W-well what do you know, NEWCOMERS! Ha, welcome my friends, how can I help you?"

Goofy asked, "Well Mr. Doorknob, we were just wondering where we were." The Doorknob answered, "Hmm, I'm afraid I wouldn't know how to answer that. Maybe someone else might." Donald then pushed Goofy out of the way and said, "Well then let us through so we can get some answers!" The Doorknob turned his nose-knob away and said, "Sorry, you're much too big! It's simply impassible for me to let you through, given your tremendous size." Sora asked, "Don't mean 'impossible'?" The Doorknob chuckled and said, "No my boy, impassible. Meaning you are unable to pass. (chuckle) Nothing is impossible!"

The Doorknob then suggested, "Why don't you look at the bottle on the table?" Donald then said, "There wasn't a table when we-!" Just then, a clear glass table came from underneath Donald, throwing him into Goofy's arms! "Don't forget to read the direction boys." Sora grabbed the bottle on the table and read it, "It says 'Drink Me'. I wouldn't call it directions; I'd call it a demand." Donald took the bottle and said, "Don't, what if it's poisoned?!" The Doorknob asked, "I-I beg your pardon?! Why would it be poisoned?" Donald answered, "Because bottles that appear out of nowhere can't be trusted!"

Goofy took the bottle and said, "Then I'll taste it. Besides, I have plenty of Antidotes, so if it does turn out to be poisoned, then y'all can take the Antidote from my pockets." Goofy took a small sip of the bottle and said, "Mmm, yummers! (ahyuk) Tastes like the Sunday Muffins that Minnie brought over once! The president and I had the greatest breakfast that day-!"

"G-GOOFY, LOOK AT YOURSELF!"

Goofy then looked at himself and noticed something…

"GAH! SORA, DONALD, YOU'VE GROWN BIGGER! BE CAREFUL WHERE YOU WALK!"

Donald nodded and said, "Yep, it ain't poisoned. I'll take a sip of that." Donald then drips the bottle and shrinks. Sora then drank the rest and shrunk down. Sora smiled and said, "Alright, we're midgets. So let's get moving-!" But just before Sora grabbed the knob, the Doorknob said, "Um, it's no use. (chuckle) I forgot to tell you, (chuckle) I'M LOCKED!" The trio asked, "_**SAY WHAT?!**_" The Doorknob then said, "Well, if you got the Key, then perhaps-oh wait! Don't tell me you left it up there!"

As the group looked up, they saw a key appear on the table. Donald then said, "We can't get up there, at least, not without a ladder!" Sora thought for a while, and then he asked, "Well, let's make our own ladder! Donald, get on my shoulders!" Donald nervously complied and climbed up Sora until he stood up on the Keyblade Master's shoulders. "Great plan Sora, but we still can't reach the-!" Before Donald could finish talking, Sora jumped on Goofy and said, "Give me a boost, Goofy!" The surprised Genome nodded and lifted Sora's feet up. Then Sora lifted Donald up, until the mallard finally grabbed the table's edge.

"I got it, now what?!" Donald asked. Sora looked at Goofy and said, "Goofy, climb up and grab the Key!" Donald shook with fear, "W-what? You want him to climb up from down there?! But he'll be too heavy!" Goofy stepped away, and Sora held on tightly to Donald's feet, and Donald held on to the ledge with all his strength. Goofy ran toward his clinging friends, and jumped up on Sora's feet. From there, Goofy started climbing up. But Donald was starting to lose his grip, "Grrr, HURRY GOOFY!"

Goofy made it up to Sora's coat, and then he made it to Donald's coat, until Goofy finally made it on top! Goofy then took the Key and said, "I GOT IT FELLAS! I GOT THE KEY!"

Suddenly, the Key was snatched by a whip!

"Thanks for the help ya idiot!"

Goofy turned around and saw Mortimer, holding the Key in his hands! Donald pulled himself up to see who was talking, but Sora's arms were too heavy for the duck, so he went back to clinging onto the ledge. Donald asked, "Goofy, what's going on?!" Goofy replied, "It Mortimer! He's got the Key!" Donald was surprised, "MORTIMER?! YOU MEAN THE SAME MORTIMER WHO MINNIE DUMPED?!" Mortimer answered, "The same one, 'ducky'! HOT-CHA-CHA-CHA-CHAAAAA!"

Mortimer then kicked Goofy off the table, but luckily, Goofy grabbed a hold of Sora's foot. Mortimer then walked over to Donald and said, "Y'know, Ducks don't have fingers, so what are you holding onto?" After the rat laughed, he kicked Donald's hands off the ledge! The trio fell to the ground, with Mortimer landing on them! The rat stood up and said, "Thanks for the soft landing, suckers, oh, and the little Key to!"

Mortimer walked straight to the Doorknob and placed the Key into the Lock, thus unlocking the door. After Mortimer went in, the Doorknob spat out the Key and said, "What a rude little vermin! His tactics were cowardly and treacherous! Gentlemen, are you quite alright?" Sora, Donald, and Goofy slowly got back up. Sora then asked, "Yeah, we're alright, NO THANKS TO THAT DISEASE RIDDON CREEPAZOID! Who was that guy anyway?!"

Donald explained, "THAT was Mortimer Mouse. He's the reason we have mousetraps in our homes! He's been scheming against Mickey-I mean, the president, for the longest of times. He even came close to stealing Minnie away! Mortimer became one of our most recurring crooks ever since." Sora asked, "Well on a scale from 1 to 10, how bad is he?" Donald answered, "…7."

Sora punched his palm, cracked his knuckles and said, "Close enough. Let's trap a rat!"

Sora then picked up the Key that the Doorknob spat out and asked, "Hey is it OK if I use this as a weapon?" The Doorknob nodded, "Of course, consider it a gift for your kind manners." As Sora bowed to the Doorknob, he, Donald, and Goofy walked through the Doorknob's doorway and prepared for the worst…

Sora asked, "So what kind of room is this? I'm starting to hear crickets!" Jiminy replied, "Well it's not me; I was busy writing in my journal." Goofy then wondered, "D'ya think we walked inside a green room?" Donald answered, "Well, judging be the noise, I'd say we were in a forest." Suddenly, the group saw a bunch of glowing tree leaves in the air. Donald then said, "…a spooky…shiny…eerily pretty forest with humming sounds." Sora asked, "Humming? What humming?" Sora started to hear someone humming a strange melody, and then the humming started sounding like singing…

"_Twas Brillig_

_And the slithy toves_

_Did gyre and gimble in the wabe_

_All mimsy were the borogoves_

_And the mome raths outgrabe."_

"Great, now I'm afraid of the dark." Sora said. Donald then asked, "So I'm not the only one hearing the humming. We all hear it. So I suspect…that we're being watched." Donald then pointed his wand at the tree branches, trying to find whoever is humming…

"Loose something? Or someone?"

"I knew it, someone IS out there! Is that you Mortimer?!" Donald asked. Surprisingly, a smile appeared in the branch Donald was pointing at. The smile then spoke, "There's no need for threats, just like how there isn't a need for weapons, OR invaders such as that fiend you're looking for." Sora asked, "So you've seen Mortimer pass by?" The smile replied, "Of course, but along with him, I've seen many other intruders, such as yourselves, and a seemingly innocent little girl. Oh, one moment, please?" The smile then revealed its body…as a cat with purple stripes and an eerie look of glee. Goofy then asked, "Wow, so you were a cat all along huh?" The cat replied, "A Cheshire Cat actually."

Donald then asked, "Alright 'Cat', where did Mortimer go?" The Cheshire Cat answered, "This way, that way, he could've gone in circles for all I know. However…if I were looking for some oversized mouse, I'd ask…the Mad Hatter." Goofy then asked, "Do we really need to see an angry person to get the answers?" The Cheshire Cat laughed and explained, "Mad doesn't always mean 'mad'…it can mean loose…careless…free from seclusion…and of fear…y'know, 'mad'. He he, ho ho, _**AH-HAHAHAHAHAHAHAAAAAAAA!"**_

Goofy nervously nodded, "Oh right…y'mean…crazy." The Cheshire Cat nodded, "Bingo, you'll find him in this direction. And if he's not there, then you can try the March Hare, in THAT direction." Sora then said, "Well thanks; I guess we'll try him-."

"Of course…he's mad to."

"OH, COME ON!"

As Donald snapped, the Cheshire Cat apologized, "I'm sorry, but he is." Sora then said, "But we can't go and ask crazy people for help!" The Cheshire Cat shook his head and explained, "Oh, but you can't help that. That's because everyone's mad around here. (maniacal laugh and gasp) You may notice…that I'M not all there…myself. Hm-hm, hm-hm, HA, HA-HA, HA-HA,_ and the mome raths outgra-a-a-a-abe_."

The Cheshire Cat suddenly vanished, leaving Sora, Donald, and Goofy alone in the dark forest, wondering what to do now. Sora looked at his friends and said, "We don't have many options guys, we have to see the Hat guy. Whether we like it or not, the Cheshire Cat has given us two leads." Donald asked, "How can you trust that mangy hairball?! For all we know, he's buying Mortimer time to escape!"

The Cheshire Cat appeared next to Donald and said, "To trust or not to trust…I trust you'll make the right decision." The cat swiftly disappeared, and so, Sora and his friends headed out to see the Mad Hatter…

End of Chapter 73

* * *

**Next Chapter, After an encounter with two troubling characters, Donald makes a drastic decision...**

**Please Comment!  
**


	74. Chapter 74

**Last time, Sora, Donald, and Goofy were taken into another world by the mysterious Gateway. The world was Wonderland, a place where ANYTHING could happen, like floating furniture, growing & shrinking doors and rooms, and forests as dark as night. Goofy explained that the reason they were taken to Wonderland was probably because of the Keyblade, which 'summoned' them to the world because of a strange invader that didn't belong in Wonderland. So to complete the Summoning, Sora ventures off with his friends to eradicate the threat...  
**

**Back in Destiny Islands, Edward and Alphonse waited for Sora to return, but the hours already passed, and Ed was anxious to get to Rissembool, where he can get a new Automail Arm so he could transmute Al's armored body back to normal.  
**

**Meanwhile, Sora and the others encountered a talking doorknob, who advised them to drink a strange, small, bottle of liquid that could shrink them down to 'proper' size. But when they did, the doorknob revealed that he was also locked, and therefore needed the keys on the table to unlock him. The party went for the keys, but they were ambushed by Mortimer Mouse, who took the giant key, unlocked the doorknob's door, and rushed into the next room!  
**

**The doorknob allowed Sora to take the giant key and use it as a weapon, then the group went through the door...  
**

**...into a giant forest, and encountered the Cheshire Cat, a cat with a unique way of appearing, disappearing, and puzzling the mind. The cat did see Morimer and some other strangers enter the forest, including a 'little girl'. But since the group was currently looking for Mortimer, the Cheshire Cat recommended asking two mad & insane crazies called the Mad Hatter & the March Hare. Though the party don't trust the cat, they go with his lead and head out in search of the Hatter and the Hare...  
**

**Warning: Kingdom Hearts and Fullmetal Alchemist are both licensed by Square-Enix. The secondary licenses for both franchises are Disney (Kingdom Hearts), Aniplex, Bones Inc., and Funimation (Fullmetal Alchemist). **

**PS: There will be spoilers.**

* * *

Fullmetal Kingdom: The Fanfic

Chapter 74: Damsel in Distress

As Sora and the Genomes walked through the forest, they started hearing two people singing. Sora looked at Donald and asked, "You hear that? Sounds like a celebration." Donald answered, "Maybe they're celebrating somebody's birthday."

"A VERY MERRY UNBIRTHDAY TO US!"

The group was surprised by what they heard, so Goofy wondered, "What's an 'Unbirthday'?" Donald replied, "Don't know Goofy, but these weirdo's will pay for tarnishing the holy name of Birthday!" Donald pulled out his staff and ran towards the singing while Sora and Goofy ran after him.

As the group came to the gate, they saw a silly looking middle-aged man singing with a brown rabbit with blond hair, and a suit while holding up their tea glasses and sitting in chairs near a large pink table filled with tea sets and delicious food. Sora asked, "Excuse me, is this the home of the Mad Hatter?" The two figures looked at Sora, Donald, and Goofy and yelled, "_**NO-**__**NO, NO INTERRUPTIONS, NO, NO!**_"

Sora explained, "It's an emergency Mr. Hatter, we're looking for someone who's entered your world illegally, and we were hoping if you could tell us whether you saw him or not." The Mad Hatter (who was the middle-aged man) replied, "Our world? Don't you mean, 'Our Unbirthday Party'?" The hare agreed, "Yes indeed! Nothing's more ridiculous than stepping in on somebody's Unbirthday Party!"

"SHADDAP ABOUT THIS 'UNBIRTHDAY' CRUD!" Donald snapped as he jumped over their gate and started shooting Flames at the two mad men. As the Mad Hatter and the hare were running, Donald yelled, "THE WORD'S NOT '**UNBIRTHDAY**', IT'S '**BIRTHDAY**', WITHOUT THE '**UN**'YOU SLANDEROUS SICKOS!" The hare stopped at that instant and held his hand up to Donald to stop him from continuing his angry assault. The hare then said, "First of all, we AREN'T 'Slanderous Sickos', second, we're the March Hare and the Mad Hatter (the guy with the hat over there), and third (AND most importantly of all) my dear friend, this is NOT a Birthday Party!" The Mad Hatter nodded and explained, "It's certainly not a 'Birthday' Party, nope! You see, THIS…is an UN-birthday Party!"

Goofy sat down and asked, "An Unbirthday Party? What's that supposed to be?" The March Hare pointed at Goofy and said, "I'll tell you IF YOU GET OFF THAT SEAT! It's rude to sit in a tea party when you're un-invited!" The Hatter agreed, "I'll say it's rude! It's VERY very rude indeed (chuckle)!" Goofy got up immediately and then re-asked his question, "Gwarsh, I'm sorry 'bout that. Well anyway, what's an Unbirthday Party supposed to be?"

The March Hare explained, "Well that's simple! In 30 days you-no…on one Birthday-no…Ho-ho-ho, they don't know what an Unbirthday is 'Hatty'!" The Mad Hatter chuckled and explained, "HOW SILLY! Well, I shall do you three the honor of explaining! One Birthday comes every month for one, two, or more of you kiddies and oldies, but an Unbirthday celebrates the day that ISN'T your Birthday. Get it?" Donald nods and says, "So…you celebrate on days that AREN'T your Birthdays? Which are...the remaining 364 days of the year?" The Hatter and the Hare nod their heads to answer yes, and then Donald sarcastically says, "_**What a load of bull-.**_"

Sora thought about it and realized, "Wait, then that means today's OUR Unbirthday to!" While Goofy clapped his hands in fascination, Donald shook his head, "OH GOD NO!" Along with Goofy, the Hatter and the Hare clap as well. The Hare then asked, "Why didn't you say so? We've got to celebrate!" Donald stood up and said, "WE DON'T HAVE TIME FOR THAT! We're looking for a rat that's up to no good! Have you seen him or NOT?!"

The March Hare and the Mad Hatter replied, "Eh…No! (chuckling) We pick NO! (laughing)"

Donald slowly gets his staff back out, but Goofy stops him and says, "Well thanks for nothing you FREAKS. So if ya don't mind, we gotta-." Sora then complained, "AW, BUT I WANTED TO CELEBRATE MY UNBIRTHDAY!" Donald snapped and said, "YOU CAN DO THAT WITH THE ELRICS WHEN WE GET BACK TO REALITY _**AND**_ SANITY!"

As the group left, Donald yelled, "Good riddance, ya cross-eyed nutcases!" Then he slammed the gate shut on his way out! The Hatter said to the Hare, "Well, is it just me…or is that duck mad at us?" the Hare nodded and said, "Meh, whaddya gonna do? There are mad people out there, Hatty, it's only fortunate we survived THAT psycho." The Mad Hatter then took up his glass and smiled, "Yep, thank heavens WE'RE sane!"

Back in the forest, Sora and Goofy followed as Donald stormed out into the forest yelling, ALRIGHT CAT, NEITHER THE OLD COOT OR 'BUGS BUNNY' COULD HELP US, SO WHAT DO YOU SUGGEST, _**HUH?!**_"

(SCREAM)

"I always knew Donald's temper would send the ladies running." Sora said. Donald grinned maliciously and asked, "ARE YOU TRYING TO GET ON MY NERVES, **AFRO-BOY?**" Goofy then said, "Uh, fellas, we didn't come here with a girl." Donald then asked, "Then who screamed?" Sora replied, "We'd better hurry if we're going to find out!" Sora rushes to the one who screamed while Donald and Goofy followed…

The heroes looked through the forest for the frightened girl, but the woods were so dark, they couldn't see their own feet. Unknowingly, the group separated in different directions, leaving one another alone in the dark…

Donald suddenly felt a branch knock him down and said, "OK very funny Goof-brain! Just keep the comedy to yourself until we find the kid." Donald stood up and continued moving forward until he noticed something odd, Goofy didn't reply. Donald looked around, "Goofy? Oh come on Goofy, where are you?! Well I guess I'm the mature one! So while you idiots are acting childish and playing hide-n-seek, I'll be the adult, save the girl, and make your fat, lazy, easy-going lives easier!...YA YELLOW STRIPED PIECES OF-" Suddenly, he heard someone whimpering…

"I'm through looking for rabbits (sniff)! Somebody, ANYBODY, HELP ME! I WANNA GO HOME!"

Donald stepped forward and saw a young 12 year old girl with a blue and white dress and blond hair. Donald whipped the sweat from his forehead, relieved that he found the scared child. Donald walked up to her and said, "Hey there, what's with all the waterworks?" The girl replied, "(sniff) I was (sniff) pushed to the ground and yelled at (sniff)! He said I was useless and then he (sniff) he (sniff) he said I deserved to be stranded here for not answering him! W-why was he so rude to me? What did I ever do to him?!" Donald waddled in front of her and smiled, "Hey, don't cry anymore, alright? I'll help you find your way home, I promise." The girl looked at Donald's confident face and smiled, "Y-you're funny looking (Donald: "HEY, THE NAME CALLING IS NOT HELPING YOUR SITUATION!"), but you're a nice person."

Donald froze, unsure of what to say after the girl complemented him. So Donald simply cleared his throat and said, "Well first things first, let's find Sora and Goofy. We'll be safer with them...if we can find them that is." The girl giggled and introduced herself, "I am grateful to you, Mr. Duck. My name is Alice." Donald then introduced himself, "And my name's Donald. 'Mr. Duck' isn't a natural name to call me." Donald extended his hand to Alice, and as she held it, the two of them went off to find the others…

(snap)

"Did you hear-?!"

(SMACK)

"…ugh, that."

Alice screamed in horror as the Large Body revealed itself and grabbed her! Donald recovered his senses in time to freeze the Large Body's feet! The massive Golem tripped and released Alice, who ran behind Donald. The Large Body stomped it's feet hard enough to break the ice, but the shockwave caught Donald off guard and blew him into a tree! The mallard stood up and yelled, "ALICE, STAY OUT OF SIGHT!" Alice nodded and hid behind a tree while Donald faced the Golem.

The Large Body walked towards Donald while bawling its fists, but the duck wasn't a 'bare-fist' type…

"I hope you've learned your swimming lessons, 'FATS'!"

Donald then unleashed a massive amount of Water from his wand, washing the Golem away! But to Donald's shock, the Large Body was a very adaptable creature as it grabbed a tree and climbed upwards. The Large Body then jumped from the tree and was coming down for a body slam on Donald! So Donald pointed his staff up and yelled, "AERO!"

And to the Golem's surprise, a strong gust of wind blew him away! The monster crashed through several trees and laid in a ruin of broken, smashed chunks of wood.

Donald stood proudly as he laughed, "HA HA HA HA! You're not so tough when it comes to Mother Nature's foot kicking your butt! HA HA HAAAAAAA-!"

"Mr. Duck, look out!"

When Alice's voice caught Donald's attention, a massive tree came Donald's way, smacking him square in the face! The small mallard bounced on the tree until he regained consciousness and started to run off of it! Donald then leapt off before the tree collided with another, and the spell caster landed safely on something cushy...

Donald complemented, "Heh, never imagined your lap being THIS comfy Alice."

"Uh, Mr. Duck, that's not my lap you're on!" Alice said as Donald opened his eyes and saw a Large Body holding him!

"…crud."

It was the same Large Body he defeated earlier, and it didn't look too happy to see Donald. It started to emit a dark aura around its body and tighten its grip on Donald's tail feathers…

"OH _**CRUD-!**_"

The Large Body grabbed Donald by the legs and started smashing him into the ground, smacking him against a tree, and finally, throwing the duck downwards and finishing him with a body slam!

Donald lay on the ground, beaten to a pulp, while the Large Body was preparing to crush the small duck with its foot. "LEAVE HIM ALONE!" Alice said as she pushed the Large Body away. As she did, Alice picked Donald up and ran away! The Large Body shook and rubbed its head to retain its senses, it then noticed Alice running away with Donald in her arms. So the Golem patted its belly and ran after them! "It's alright Mr. Duck, I'll get you away!" Alice said as she ran. Donald then noticed something was smashing through the trees…

"It's the Golem, Alice! RUN FASTER!" The Large Body's massive stomach smashed through the trees and started getting closer to Alice! Donald pointed his wand at the creature and yelled, "EAT FIRE YA MASS OF TUBBINESS!" Alice then said, "Stop Mr. Duck! You might set the whole forest on fire, and then we'll have NOWHERE to go!" Donald answered, "It's our only choice to stop this thing!" Donald blasted a few fireballs at the Golem, but he was surprised to find that the spells only bounce off of it and burned the trees it smashed through!

Donald's eyes burned angrily at the Large Body's immunity to his simplest spell, "_**THAT'S ELEMENTALLY WRONG!**_ WHEN STUPID SPELLS HITS STUPID MONSTERS, STUPID MONSTERS BURN, FREEZE, GET SHOCKED, OR SOMETHING STUPID LIKE THAT! Well, you know what they say…"

Donald used another Aero spell to launch the Large Body from underneath it's feat and cast it into the fire!

"Only HE can prevent forest fires!"

The Large Body was scorching in anguish, and the burning trees came down upon it, crushing it and leaving the Golem burning alive! Alice stopped to look at the burning forest, and when Donald dropped down, he summoned a large amount of water to wash away the flames. The forest was no longer burning, so Alice said to him, "That was a very brave thing you did Mr. Duck. Standing up to that brute with nothing but your own staff, I'm so amazed!" Donald then said, "Mam…there's no need for this 'Mr. Duck' nonsense. Just call me Donald, that's what my friends call me." Alice asked, "So, we're friends?" Donald smiled and answered, "Yep, we're friends. Now we've gotta find the others before-."

"Before I interrogate this lovely lady about the location of her master? TOO LATE, NATE!"

Mortimer jumps down from a tree branch and wraps his whip around Alice's waist and holds her while Donald points his wand at the rat and said, "Mortimer Mouse! Let Alice go! In this world, she's as lost as you and me!" Mortimer answered, "Sorry 'ducky', but the chick's not going anywhere unless she tells me where to find my way to find the _**Heart of Light**_!" Donald asked, "Heart of Light? What are you-?"

"Naturally, that's because you HAVE no way."

Suddenly, the Cheshire Cat appeared over them on a branch and said, "All ways here you see are the **QUEEN'S WAY**!" Mortimer asked, "What Queen?! I've never met a queen here…except the duck over there (Donald: "HEY, SHUT UP!")." The Cheshire Cat laughed, "You haven't-…YOU HA_**VEN'T?!**_ Oh, but you MUST! She'll be MAD about you, SIMPLY MAD (maniacal laugh)!" Mortimer then asked, "Well tell me where to find this 'Queen', kitty, otherwise THIS girl's going to lose some teeth!" Donald yelled, "Don't you dare!" The Cheshire Cat waved his paws and said, "Now calm down rat boy, calm down. I'll be glad to show you." Mortimer then ordered, "Well? SPILL IT!"

"Well, some go THIS way, some go THAT way, but as for me, personally, I'd prefer the SHORT CUT."

The cat then surprises the group by pulling a lever disguised as a branch that opens a doorway into a sunny green maze with a castle seen over head.

Mortimer then pushes Alice away and rushes into the doorway! Donald then says to Alice, "I'd better go after him! He's been a migraine in Disney Town, but he'll be a concussion here! Stay here and wait for Sora and Goofy, I'm sure that bit of disturbance would catch their ears. When they get here, tell them the whole story, I'll try to buy them some time." Donald marched into the doorway, and Alice yelled out, "GOOD LUCK DONALD!"

Donald smiled at Alice and gave her a 'Thumbs-Up' before continuing onwards…

End of Chapter 74

* * *

**Next Chapter, If you thought Ed was angry, wait until you meet...the QUEEN OF HEARTS!**

**Please Comment.  
**


	75. Chapter 75

**Last time, Sora, Donald, & Goofy met with the Mad Hatter & the March Hare, who were as mad as the Cheshire Cat claimed. Upset by the lack of help the tea-drinkers could provide, Donald left the Unbirthday Party with a pout and a snarl. But just when Donald was close to abandoning his comrades, a scream was heard in the forest, so he, Sora, and Goofy separated to search for the one in trouble...  
**

**As Donald wandered through the dark forest, he came across a girl named Alice, who was bullied by Mortimer. Donald helped the girl back on her feet and offered to help her return home, unfortunately, Mortimer was quick to act on capturing the poor girl! He then explained his plan, to find a mysterious source of power called the Heart of Light. Before Donald could ask what the rat was talking about, the Cheshire Cat appeared and explained where Mortimer could find the Heart of Light...in the kingdom of the Queen.  
**

**The Cheshire Cat then opened a gateway into the kingdom, giving Mortimer the chance to enter and find the Queen! Donald couldn't let Mortimer escape, so he ventured into the entrance...  
**

**Warning: Kingdom Hearts and Fullmetal Alchemist are both licensed by Square-Enix. The secondary licenses for both franchises are Disney (Kingdom Hearts), Aniplex, Bones Inc., and Funimation (Fullmetal Alchemist). **

**PS: There will be spoilers.**

* * *

Fullmetal Kingdom: The Fanfic

Chapter 75: The Queen's Wrath

Hours passed as Alice waited for Donald's friends to arrive, and sure enough, Sora and Goofy rushed over in a heartbeat to learn what happened. After introducing herself, Alice took some time to explain to them what happened to Donald, and what Mortimer was looking for, the Heart of Light. After minutes of explanations, Alice was finished and Sora only had one thing to say…

"WHAT THE HELL WAS HE THINKING?!"

Alice answered, "I don't think he doubts you, he seemed to speak very gently about you and Goofy, as if he knows you can succeed." Sora crossed his arms and said, "He should've looked for us first! This Mortimer guy has some control over the Golems and Donald could barely handle ONE of them! He'll get himself killed if he relies on pride alone!" Goofy started feeling nervous, so he took out his shield and said, "But he's NOT alone, he's got us to back him up! So while he stalls Mortimer, we'll catch up with him and aid him."

As Goofy runs through the doorway into the green maze, Sora takes out the Doorknobs giant key, but started to lose his grip on the heavy replacement. Alice helps Sora grasp the handle of the key and then they run after Goofy to try and reach Donald…

As Sora and Alice enter the maze, they find Goofy standing and looking around for something. Sora approaches Goofy and asks, "Did you see Donald?" Goofy answers, "Nope, but I do hear some fancy singing."

"_Painting the roses red  
We're painting the roses red  
We dare not stop  
Or waste a drop  
So let the paint be spread  
We're painting the roses RE-E-E-E-ED  
We're painting the roses red"_

Goofy followed the music, causing Alice and Sora to worry. Sora and Alice start to follow Goofy until they were caught off guard by a large amount of red water! Alice was shocked, believing the red mess to be blood, but Sora recognized the sent and said, "Relax Alice, its paint."

(SPLASH)

Red paint came on Sora's face, causing the young lady to laugh, "You look like a tomato!"

While Sora was wiping the paint from his face, Goofy found the singers, who were three middle-aged men…who appear to be cards! The trio was singing while painting white roses with red paint. Goofy clapped his hands and said, "Y'know, you should be in a Broadway Band, they could use voices like those!"

The cards noticed Goofy, and one of them asked, "W-who are you?! You can't stay here! We can't let ANYONE see-!" Alice then walked over and asked, "Pardon me sirs, but why would you paint white roses red?" The eldest card answered, "Well missy, the fact is we planted the white roses instead of the red roses by mistake!" The second card then said, "And the queen loves the red roses more than ANY flower in her garden. So if she saw white instead of red-." The third one finished, "She'd raise a fuss at each of us and then we'd LOOSE OUR HEADS!"

"GOODNESS! Well then we'll just have to help you!" Alice said as she took a brush and came to the card's aid. Sora then advised, "Alice, we're NOT here to help out a deck of cards; no offense (Cards: "None taken."). We came here to try and find our friend, Donald, and stop Mortimer from finding this Heart of Light!"

Goofy wondered, "Well, maybe these three might know what we're talking about."

"WE DON'T."

Sora then said, "No choice, we'll have to search for answers the hard way. Come on Alice-." Sora then noticed the girl was already helping the three cards with painting the white roses. Sora shook his head and asked, "Can you guys keep her safe for us?" The cards nodded, "GOTCHA!"

As Goofy came out of the garden, he noticed Sora was looking stressed out and asked, "Hey Sora, are you alright?" Sora answered, "I'm just…just tired of this. We end up in a strange place after being chased by a mindless cannibal, one of your enemies shows up out of the blue, and we haven't come close to finding him!" Goofy patted Sora on the back and said, "But look on the bright side, Sora, once we find Mortimer, we can go back home and look for the president-oh, and the Elrics will be happy to see us to. EASY-PEASY (ahyuk)." Sora started to calm down, "…yeah, I guess you're right. Still, what if Mortimer brings out something we aren't prepared for?" Goofy answers, "Like what, an army?"

(trumpet sounds)

Goofy grabs Sora and asked, "ITS A MIRACLE, YOU CAN SEE THE FUTURE!" Sora slapped Goofy's nose in response. Just then, the duo heard the cards cry out, "It's the queen, she's coming! Hurry and hide the paint!" Sora looked at Goofy and said, "Come on, maybe their queen can help us!" But before Sora and Goofy could head back, Sora noticed something white and fluffy pass by his legs! Goofy then asked, "Did I just see a rabbit in a suit blowing a trumpet?"

Sora follows the White Rabbit back into the garden where he finds Alice and the three Cards surrounded by Card Soldiers. Sora pulls out the Giant Key and asks, "W-what's going on?!" Before anyone could answer, the White Rabbit stands near the second entrance to the garden and yells, "Her imperial highness, her grace, her majesty, her royal excellency…**the Queen of Hearts!**"

(Loud cheering)

Just when the White Rabbit finished the intro, a large woman in a red and black dress came into the garden. She smiled at her praisers and cheerers while a small little crowned man tapped the shoulder of the White Rabbit, as the Rabbit turns around, he notices the gentle man and sighs, "…_AND_ the king."

"Hurray."

Suddenly, the Queen's smile turned into an angered look of disapproval as she notices the red paint dripping off of one of her rose bushes…

Angrily anxious to get some answers, the Queen of Hearts walks toward the rose bush to examine the paint. She then realizes that her roses where actually white, and were painted red to fool her! She then grunts and asks, "(grunt) Who's been painting my roses red?" Shockingly, the Queen tears out the entire bush and repeats, "_**WHO'S BEEN PAINTING MY ROSES RED?!**_"

No one answered her, so she asked, "Well?! Who dares to taint the royal flower head with paint?! If I don't find the culprit in twenty seconds I swear, _**SOMEONE WILL LOOSE HIS HEAD!**_" The Queen threw the large rose bush into one of her soldiers, causing Sora to look at her with fear, "GOOD GOD, SHE'S A SILVERBACK!"

One of the Cards spoke, "Oh no, your majesty, please, it's all his fault!" the other Card shook his head, "Not me your Grace. The Ace, THE ACE!" The Queen looked at the Ace and asked, "So it was you?!" The Ace pointed at one of his companions and said, "NO, the Two!" The Queen was getting restless, so she asked, "The 'Deuce' you say?!" The Two Card shook his head, "NOT ME, DA TRES-!"

"_**THAT'S ENOUGH!**_** OFF WITH THEIR HEADS!**"

And with that, the three Cards were taken away.

Alice came up to the Queen and begged, "Oh please, PLEASE! They were only trying to-." The Queen pointed her club at Alice and asked, "And who is THIS?!" The little King looked at her face and said, "W-well, let me see my dear. Hmm, she certainly isn't a heart…um; do you suppose that it's a club-?" The Queen smiled and said, "WHY, it's a little girl!"

"Not just ANY girl, my liege, A SINISTER THEIF!"

To Sora and Alice's surprise, Mortimer came from behind the Queen in clothes that reflected the Card's color scheme. Mortimer walked around Alice while saying, "Ah HA! As I suspected, this supposed little girl is the same culprit who stole the hearts of my beloved friends! There's no doubt about that!" Alice spoke out, "C-Culprit?! But I am no such person! I don't have any interest or value for the hearts of others!"

Mortimer turns to the Queen and proclaims, "She's the thief alright, and those were the same words she said to my own buddies before she enslaved them! See that guy over there? He was one of'em, one of my good friends, but thanks to this witch's power, she turned him against me! (wine) Oh Sora, how I miss you and your jokes, not to mention those weapons you crafted to look like Keys! (wine)"

Sora tried to defend Alice, but the Queen yelled, "So we have a witch in our midst! CARDS, TAKE HER!" The Cards grabbed Alice and brought her to the Queen, who yelled, "You and your wretched spell-casting end today, you horrid hag!" Sora pulled out his Giant Key and said, "HOLD IT! Alice isn't a witch! She's just a kid like me! And all she wants is some help to try and find her way home-!"

The Queen became furious at the Keyblade Master and yelled, "_**HER WAY?!**_** ALL WAYS HAVE, AND WILL BE, ON **_**MY**_** WAY!**" Sora shook in shock as the Queen spoke, so he said, "Alright, alright, I get it! Just listen, the REAL bad guy is the rat-guy over there! He attacked her earlier and threatened her life just because she wouldn't tell him what he wanted. And she's as much of a stranger here as him!" Mortimer laughed and said, "Y'see?! He's completely loyal to her! (sniff) I escaped in order to change my life and forget what this EVIL girl did to my buds, but now she's back, and ready to take over the kingdom that your royal highness rules!"

"So THAT'S your little plan, is it?! I'll have your head rolling in no time! **OFF WITH HER-!**" Before the Queen could finish, the King asked, "C-consider my dear, couldn't she have a trail? Huh? …first?" The Queen yelled, "**A TRAIL?!**" The King nodded and said, "Well, uh, j-just a little trail? Hm?" The Queen thought to herself and kindly patted her small husband on the head, "Hmm…very well then."

Mortimer of course objected, "Are you kidding?! That little troll should be sentenced to death at once-!" The Queen then asked, "_**Are you questioning my decision?!**_" Mortimer's face turned white as she roared at him, so the rat shook his head, "N-N-nope, wouldn't think of it." The Queen then said, "**THEN LET THE TRAIL BEGIN!**"

Sora watched as the Card Soldiers took Alice away, and then his attention went to Mortimer, who sneered, "Nice going, 'Key-boy'. Letting the blond take the noose and walking away like you weren't responsible for the crime. (clapping) Kudos on originality, you truly are heroic!" Sora looked him in the eye and said, "Shut up! I won't let you do this to Alice!" Mortimer laughed, "Watch me, spiky! And while you're enjoying the view, you can watch me steal the Queen's heart while my minions take out ANY and ALL enemies in my way, including you and your little duck!"

Sora asked, "What have you done with Donald?!" Mortimer replied, "Let's just say he'll be in court…GETTING HIS GOOSE COOKED! Ha-cha-cha-chaaaaaaaa!" Sora made a fist and was ready to unleash it, but before he did, Mortimer said to him, "Uh-uh-uh. Any prick from your knuckle, and I'll send your butts to prison as well! HA, you get it now, ya brat?! You were doomed the minute you came here to save your little turkey! And the best part of it is that you have no evidence to link me to the Golems either! I'M INVINCIBLE! See ya boys; I'll let you know how victory tastes!"

Goofy looks at Sora and wonders, "So, what do we do?" Sora answered, "We gotta find some way to prove Alice is innocent. But…I don't know how to do it!" Goofy nodded and said, "Yep, Mortimer's not the type to leave evidence, especially back in Disney Town."

"Th-then perhaps I can help!"

Sora noticed something pulling on the end of his pants, and he looked down and saw, to his surprise, the King of Hearts!

The King smiled and said, "You seem to be a trust-worthy type of boy. The girl had the same characteristics as well, not a single dishonest look on either one of you." Sora blushed, "Well thanks, but how can you help us?" The King replied, "Well, call me a witness, because I've seen a certain rodent pass through the maze while muttering something to himself, something about planning to overthrow my beloved wife's kingdom with a hidden army. After a few seconds of curiosity, I decided to follow him. As I spied on him, the fellow kept approaching some of the dead ends of the maze, but he did it intentionally. As soon as he walked away, I noticed a strange black smoke, seeming through the dead ends of the maze. After seeing you and the girl, I realized that we were in imminent danger, as this Mortimer Mouse may have in fact, hidden his secret army inside the maze!"

Sora and Goofy were shocked to hear the King's hypothesis, so Sora asked, "Your majesty, what if I went to those dead ends and gathered evidence that links Mortimer to those Golems?" The King answered, "…well, it's worth a try. There are five dead ends in the maze, so you'd best not get lost while trying to find them. Please young man, find the five pieces of evidence and save the girl, my sweetheart won't be able to wait for long, she'll be so anxious to have that poor girl's head rolling-."

"ALRIGHT I GET IT! Please, stop talking about decapitation already!"

Sora was about to head out when he asked, "By the way your highness, do you have a map of the maze?" The King shook his head, "I-I'm afraid the maze is a mystery, even to my wife. But I do have a helpful clue! (ahem) 'Look to the sky, if you see dark smoke echoing in the air, you'll find where the dark smog is hidden'. Oh, and everything around you will go dark, like its night time."

Sora nodded, "Thank you your majesty." The Keybearer then looked at Goofy and said, "Goofy, I need you to stall the Queen while I'm gone! Make sure she's not eager to go for the guillotine or an ax…better yet, make her feel like she's having the day of her life or something. And whatever you do, DON'T LET MORTIMER TICK YOU OFF!" Goofy saluted, "You can count on me sir! I'll make today the best day the Queen ever had!"

Sora watched the King and Goofy run to where the trail was being held, and as Sora made his way back into the maze, Sora said to himself, "Edward, I hope I'm doing the right thing…"

End of Chapter 75

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**Next Chapter, Sora ventures into the shadowy maze while Goofy occupies the Queen and her 'trial'...**

**Please Comment.  
**


	76. Chapter 76

**Last time, Sora and Goofy met with Alice and headed into the green maze, hoping to find Donald and stop Mortimer! While traversing the maze, Alice met with, and assisted three card-soldiers with painting white roses red so they could avoid the horrid punishment of loosing their heads. Unfortunately, the Queen of Hearts arrived too soon and immediately sentenced the cards to death.**

**When the Queen saw Alice, at first, she was delighted, knowing that someone new arrived in her kingdom, but the joy in her heart was crushed when Mortimer (disguised as a duke) stepped in and claimed Alice was a heart-stealing witch, who placed Sora and Goofy under a spell so she could use them whenever she wanted. Furious, the Queen ordered the girl's immediate decapitation until her husband, the loving King of Hearts, asked if they could have a little trial to see whether or not the girl was who Mortimer claimed. The Queen agreed and had her guards take Alice to trial.  
**

**Mortimer laughed at Sora and told him he was powerless to stop him and save Donald and Alice. But as he left, the King told Sora about Mortimer's REAL plan, to unleash a hidden army on the kingdom from the darkness-infested maze. So Sora set off into the maze while Goofy went with the King to trial and keep the Queen busy...  
**

**Warning: Kingdom Hearts and Fullmetal Alchemist are both licensed by Square-Enix. The secondary licenses for both franchises are Disney (Kingdom Hearts), Aniplex, Bones Inc., and Funimation (Fullmetal Alchemist). **

**PS: There will be spoilers.**

* * *

Fullmetal Kingdom: The Fanfic

Chapter 76: Maze of Secrets

Sora looked into the air as soon as he went into the maze, trying to find the dark smoke seeming out of the locations of Mortimer's secret army. Sora thought to himself, _If Ed was here, he would've transmuted through the maze, but no, I gotta do this the hard way_! After a few more steps, he noticed the first batch of dark smoke in the air! "Now comes the hard part…" The Keybearer immediately bolted further into the maze to try and reach the smoke, he maneuvered through the maze with ease, but as he got closer, the area seemed to get darker…

Suddenly, he felt something brush up his leg and jumped away! Sora looked around to find the thing that surprised him, but the area was too dark.

"It's titillating, isn't it?"

Sora recognized the voice immediately, "Cheshire Cat?!"

The cat continued, "Yes, I too find it strangely arousing…the darkness that surrounds this maze. It just fills me with such spine-tingling anxiety. _Oo-hoo_, there it goes again!" Sora asked, "So…the thing that's been brushing up me was…this dark fog?" The Cheshire Cat replied, "Nope, that was me. But the reason you're sweating must be your fear of the unknown, dare say…this darkness that surrounds us?"

Sora turned around and yelled, "I-I'm not afraid! This cloud just makes it difficult to see." The Cat smirks, "Then why are you…trembling?" Enraged, Sora runs further into the dark fog and yells, "_I'M NOT SCARED, YOU__ HEAR ME?! __**I AM NOT SCAAAAAAAAAARED!**_"

(thump)

Sora stood back a few inches to see a large grin of sharp teeth and menacing red eyes in front of him…

"Now when I said I wasn't scared, I guess I was exaggerating a bit."

"…**AAAAAAAAAAAAAUGH!**"

Meanwhile, Goofy entered the courtroom to see all the Card Soldiers sitting in rows. And before him, stood Alice, who had Card Soldiers, keeping her from running away, before her, sat the Queen of Hearts, who sat in the seat of the judge. And as she sat there, the Queen was patiently waiting for someone to arrive…

Just then, the White Rabbit passed Goofy by while blowing his trumpet to signal the beginning of the trail against Alice. The Rabbit stood on a tall pillar and began the announcements, "(ahem) Your majesty, members of the jury, royal subjects-!"

"(ahem)"

"…and the King."

As the King raised his crown for people to see, the White Rabbit continued reading aloud the written testament, "The prisoner at the bar is standing before us today for the intentional crime of stealing her royal majesty's kingdom. Apprehended today by her majesty's newest royal subject and the only survivor of the prisoner's magic, Mortimer Mouse, Alice is thereby -." And like a twig, the Queen snapped, "NEVERMIND ALL THAT! Get to the part where I lose my temper!" The White Rabbit complied and skimmed down to the end of the testament and read, "-Thereby, causing the Queen of Hearts to lose her temper!"

Goofy whispered, "Now don't you worry, Alice. Sora's looking for a way to prove your innocence even as we speak! So for now, I'll act as your lawyer." Alice made an awkward smile and said, "…can you be somebody else?" Goofy felt hurt and pointed at Alice, "Naw c'mon! Give me a shot; I can get this trial over with in our favor."

"Or mine!" Mortimer said as he stepped forward. Mortimer then asked, "(ahem) Is the little lady ready for her **sentence?**" Alice was confused, so she asked, "SENTENCE?! But, shouldn't there be a verdict first?" The Queen answered, "SENTENCE FIRST, verdict afterword!" Alice protested, "But that's just not the right way-!"

"_**ALL WAYS ARE MY WAY!**_"

Alice remained quiet as the Queen finished yelling. And with that, Mortimer proclaimed, "Hmph, there's no doubt about it your highness! This girl IS the culprit! The reason is so obvious, is it not?! _BECAUSE IT IS THE QUEEN WHO DECLARES IT, __**THAT'S WHY!**_" Goofy argued, "Yer majesty, your opinion MUST somehow differ from this rat's. Tell us what you think, please!" The Queen smiled and said, "Y-yes my child, heh heh…_**OFF WITH HER-!**_"

"C-consider my dear, the dog's meaning was if your opinion was different from Mr. Mortimer over there?" The King asked. The Queen answered, "What's so different about it?! I won't have a witch in my kingdom, plotting against me!" As the Queen and King discussed Alice's fate, Goofy suddenly had an epiphany! So the dippy-looking dog looked at the Queen and asked, "With your permission, your majesty, I would like to present a few witnesses to prove the girl's innocence! …with your permission of course!"

The King whispered, "This would be interesting to see my dear." The Queen grunted and said, "Oh…very well _**BUT GET ON WITH IT!**_" as the Queen roared; Goofy asked, "I believe you have my first witness as a prisoner. His name is Donald Duck, and I would like to bring him out as the first witness, if ya don't mind?" Mortimer turned to the Queen and said, "You're not going to just let a prisoner out of his cage, are you?! Need I remind you, your highness, that Donald was one of the former allies I had before this blonde little hag twisted him into hers and hers alone!"

The Queen was quiet for a few seconds before answering, "…he'd better have something, doggy, or it's your head that'll roll!" Goofy gulped in fear, but was thankful none the less. Mortimer yelled, "Y-your highness, this is a terrible mistake-!"

"_**YOU DARE QUESTION MY WAYS?!**_"

"Eeep…n-no."

"Then stay silent until I say otherwise!" The Queen said as Mortimer crossed his arms while watching the guards fetch Donald. While looking at Alice and Goofy, Mortimer thought, _This isn't what I planned! I could've taken that fat pie-hole's heart by now! The trail AND these Mickey-liking worms are going to ruin everything! W-wait, hold on Morty, you can still pull an ace out of your sleeve! You just need the right ace__ to pull…_

As Mortimer planned for the undoing of his foes, back in the maze, Sora held the Giant Key, ready to do battle with the creature hidden in the darkness…

The Keyblade Master sweated as he spoke to himself, "Just remember Sora, it's just a Golem…Golems can't hurt you as long as you've got a-!"

(SLICE)

To Sora's shock, the Giant Key was sliced in two!

"…Keyblade?"

Sora had no weapon to defend himself against the monster, but before the Keybearer started to lose hope, a sword came before him!

"I remember the name being 'KeyBLADE', not 'KeyKEY'."

Sora realized that it was the Cheshire Cat, but before he could speak, the Cat said to him, "If I were you, I'd take the blade!" Sora heard a roar and something approaching him, so he dodged by rolling over to the blade beside him, and then taking it! Sora had little time to speak to the Cheshire Cat, so he took out the Keychain and bonded it with the blade!

The place filled up with a blinding light, indicating the Keychain's successful bonding to the blade. But as the light disappeared, Sora noticed his new sword looked much differently than the one he originally had!

"Looks like' Lady Luck' is on your side." The Cheshire Cat said as he appeared on Sora's shoulder like a parrot. Sora asked, "How did you know the Keyblade was made like that?!" The Cheshire Cat replied, "Oh, not the time for questions kiddo."

(ROAR)

Sora jumped away to dodge the coming attack, but was wounded by a sharp injury to his left shoulder! Sora asked himself, "Just what the hell am I supposed to do if I can't see you bastards! Guess it's time to see how well this Keyblade works in the dark!" The Keybearer pointed his blade upwards and tried performing a spell…

"**FIRE!**"

To Sora's amazement, the new Keyblade works much like his old one, as the tip of the blade shot out a large amount of flame into the sky! Sora looked around to see his enemies and was disturbed by what he saw…

"…yep, Mortimer's a Rabid lover."

In the entire dark chamber, the room was filled with Crimson's small Golem canines, the Rabid Dogs. The small dog-like creatures started creeping towards the young warrior, ready to eat their fill. But Sora pointed his blade at them and yelled, "TIME TO PLAY DEAD!"

The Keybearer charged at the first Golem that came at him and ran it through! He then sliced through the remaining dogs like they were paper! He proceeded to kicking one away and blasting it with an Ice spell, which incased the creature in a large block of ice, and crushed the Rabid Dogs underneath! Sora then batted the next group away and repeated his chaotic attack! Sore then took this opportunity to kiss his new Keyblade and say, "(sigh)…_**ROADHOUSE!**_"

While Sora fought against the remaining dogs, Donald was brought into the courtroom while being imprisoned in a small cage. Goofy giggled and said, "Aw, it's a widow tweedy bird! (Ahyuk), did you 'taw' a 'puddy tat' yet? (Ahyuk-hu-hu-hu-HGH)" Donald answered, "No, but I did 'taw' a stupid dog! What are you doing here anyway?!" Goofy explained, "Why I'm the defense for Alice! I'll be using all my cunning and my expertise to help Alice prove she's innocent!" Donald sighed, "…We're doomed."

The King then asked, "Mr. Duck, where were you when this horrible crime was committed?" Donald answered, "Prison." Mortimer then points at Donald and yells, "AH-HAA! So you admit you're a prisoner!" Donald snapped, "BECAUSE YOU FRAMED ME, YA JERK!" Mortimer turned to everyone and said, "Ladies and gentlemen, I do believe that prisoners were MADE prisoners usually for a crime, am I wrong? Well then, THIS feathered fowl has just proved me right by saying a dastardly lie! A lie only those of evil intent would say!" Donald asked, "Do you even hear yourself talk? You sound like a self-righteous idiot talking out of his-!"

Before Donald could finish, the Queen yelled, "_**THAT WAS VERY IMPORTANT!**_ Jury, wright that down! In the meantime, call the next witness!" Goofy nodded and said, "Well…truth be told, since our first arrival to this world, we haven't really met with anyone close to Alice…but if it helps…I'd like to ask for someone from THIS world. Someone we've met before, someone that has met with Alice previously, someone like…Oh, I know, those nice guys at that funny tea party!" Donald asked, "Oh God, don't tell me you wanna bring up-."

"THE MARCH HARE!"

The Card Soldiers approached the Queen and brought with them the March Hare, who while being yanked by his ears, was enjoying a cup of tea. The Hare sat beside Donald on the stand and kept drinking while Donald mumbled angrily at the Hare's carefree attitude.

The March Hare then smiles at Donald and asks, "I'm sane and you're not."

"SANE?! (mad loud quacking sounds)"

Donald proceeds to choking the Hare in annoyance. But the mad mallard stopped when the King asked the Hare, "Mr. Hare, what were you doing when this horrible crime was committed?"

"Nothing!"

The Queen was shocked and so she asked, "_**Nothing whatever?!**_"

"NOTHING-WHATEVER!"

The Queen roared, "THAT'S VERY IMPORTANT! Jury, wright that down!"

The Jury wrote down the nonsense that just happened. In the meantime, Alice said to the Jury, "UN-important, your majesty means of course."

"_**SIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIILENC E!**_"

The Queen then ordered, "Bring out the next witness already! My guillotine's starting to rust!"

Alice started to worry, so she asked, "Th-they're not going to let me go…are they?" Goofy answered, "It's like the Cheshire Cat said, 'everyone's mad here.' But don't you worry Alice; Sora'll make it in time with a way to prove your innocence! He's pretty clever y'know!" Alice sighed in relief, but as she did, Goofy looked back at the entrance to the Courtroom, wondering if Sora would truly make it in time or not. The worried dog thought, _C'mon Sora, you're the new Keyblade Master for a reason! You HAVE to find Mortimer's army, you have to!_

End of Chapter 76

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**Next Chapter, the trial makes a strange turn when Sora arrives...**

**Please Comment.  
**


	77. Chapter 77

**Last time, Goofy entered the Queen of Hearts' courtroom, ready to defend his client, Alice, from the malicious schemer, Mortimer, who acts as the prosecuter. At first, the Queen was going to sentence the girl before giving her a verdict, but thanks to the King of Hearts, she decided to allow Goofy to bring out witnesses. The first was Donald, who Mortimer quickly pointed at for being a criminal, the second was the March Hare, who had 'NOTHING WHATEVER' to do with Alice's so-called crime. Things looked grim for Alice, but the worried defender believed Sora would return as he promised...**

**In the maze however, Sora was having difficulty fighting Mortimer's hidden Golem Army!  
**

**The Giant Key Sora used as a replacement for the Keyblade was destroyed, leaving the Keybearer hopelessly unarmed against the Golems. However, the Cheshire Cat surprised him with a sword to bond with the Keychain. The Keyblade was recreated into the 'Lady Luck' Keyblade, giving Sora back the ability to destroy the Golem Army...  
**

**Warning: Kingdom Hearts and Fullmetal Alchemist are both licensed by Square-Enix. The secondary licenses for both franchises are Disney (Kingdom Hearts), Aniplex, Bones Inc., and Funimation (Fullmetal Alchemist). **

**PS: There will be spoilers.**

* * *

Fullmetal Kingdom: The Fanfic

Chapter 77: Believe in Lady Luck

In the maze, Sora finally steps out of the darkness that was hiding Mortimer's first wave of Golems. As he emerged, Sora said to himself, "Hmm, hard to think that was an army, more like a Pet Store if you ask me. And just think; now I just have to find four more and I'm finished."

Suddenly, a white box with a pink ribbon tied on it appeared before him! The Cheshire Cat then said, "If you're going to gather evidence of the girl's innocence, then I suggest you take this along with you. Once you have all five pieces of evidence, then you might have what you need to save her." Sora took the box and peeked in it to see what was inside…

"_**YOU PUT A RABBID DOG'S TAIL IN THIS?!**_"

The Cheshire Cat answered, "Well, it was just lying around, so…" Sora yelled, "THAT'S BARBARIC! I can't just rip hair off an animal and show it to people!" The Cheshire Cat pointed out, "Not even if it's something the Jury hasn't seen before? This may seem crazy, but it's the only way to save the girl. Gather an antennae, a nail, a weapon, and a tooth to go with that crazy looking tail, and you'll have all the evidence you need to prove that the Golems are hidden by that (slobber) delicious looking vermin."

Sora asked, "You think Mortimer's delicious?" The Cheshire Cat answered, "Well I AM a cat, aren't I?"

Sora shook the idea out of his noggin and said, "Well anyway, thanks for the help Cheshire Cat! With a new Keyblade, I'll be able to save Alice!" But as Sora was about to head out, the Cheshire Cat warned, "Now hold up there cowboy. Alice may be proven innocent…but what about you?" Sora asked, "M-me? Why would you ask me that? I haven't-!" The Cheshire Cat explained, "This Alice is innocent enough with this evidence in your hands, but Mortimer isn't without a brain. He'll point the blame to YOU as well. He'll have a crafty story prepared for you, and the Queen's temper isn't going to cool down after just ONE trail. She'll have her limit and 'SWISH'! Off goes your head in a second, 'tee hee'!"

Sora started to worry about the cat's warning; the Queen thus far has proven to be more dangerous when aggravated and opposed. So when Mortimer speaks negative about someone and calls them evil and/or a traitor, the Queen will see this as another way of taking off heads.

She'll go after ANYONE who she sees as loathsome and untrustworthy…or somebody who angers her.

"WAIT, THAT'S IT!"

Sora then whispered to the Cheshire Cat about what he had just thought of…

Hours later, in the Trail, the next witness was brought in to prove Alice's innocence. "Step forth, Mad Hatter!" The Rabbit said as the Card Solders pushed the silly little man towards the stand. As he sat, the Queen yelled, "_**OFF WITH YOUR HAT!**_" The Mad Hatter complied and took off his hat, only to bring out a tea set from it! The King then went on to asking, "So where were YOU when this horrible crime was committed?" The Hatter answered, "I was home making tea. Today y'know is (sip) my Unbirthday!"

The King clapped and said to the Queen, "Why my dear, TODAY IS YOUR UNBIRTHDAY TO!" The Queen was amazed at this obvious truth and asked, "…it is?" The King nodded, making the Queen hug him in joyful happiness. Goofy and Alice clapped for the Queen while Donald muttered about the utter stupidity of an Unbirthday Party.

The March Hare and the Mad Hatter brought a large cake to the Queen, who dipped her finger in the frosting and tasted it with a joyful expression. The Mad Hatter proceeded to lighting all the candles on the cake for the Queen to blow away. And as they were lit, the Queen blew a mighty breath of air that not only blew the candles off, but the whole cake! And right where the cake used to be was a present. The Queen tore off the wrapper, opened the box, and pulled out a magnificent crown! She placed the crown on her head and smiled at everyone, who applauded her for her new beautiful crown…except for Mortimer and Donald.

"Happy Unbirthday, your highness (ahyuk)!" Goofy said as he applauded.

"You look stunning, my dear!" The King proudly said.

The Queen felt truly happy, almost as if she was a child again. It almost seemed like there never was a trail to begin with, everyone was cheering the Queen like she had just won a game of croquet. Goofy looked at Donald and asked, "Uh Donald, whaddya think of the Queen's new crown?" Donald replied, "This is a complete waste of time, Goofy! We gotta get Alice out of here before everyone regains their sanity, not that they had it to begin with!"

Goofy shook his head and said, "But Donald, look at her, the Queen has so many admirers. She might never have another day like this. Can't ya find it in your heart to feel a little happy for someone like her to have found such a feeling again?" Donald then said, "I'm sure you've noticed, Goofy, but she'll be happy every time somebody dies from decapitation!"

"Oh…right."

Donald then said, "Now come on, before everybody notices, we've gotta get Alice out!"

"Oh, your majesty-!" Alice said as she pointed at the Queen's crown. Expecting another word of praise, the Queen asked, "(giggle) Yes, my dear?" Alice explained, "Look, it's him! He's right there!" The Queen asked, "Huh?! What, who is it?!" Alice pointed on her head to explain who was on the Queen's crown, "THE CHESHIRE CAT, HE'S THE CROWN!" The Queen looked up at her crown and noticed the Cheshire Cat waving at her!

"CAT!" The Queen yelled as she tried to grab the trickster! But the Cheshire Cat quickly disappeared before the Queen could grab him!

The Cheshire Cat popped in random places, where the Card Soldiers kept trying to catch him, but failed! Goofy saw this as an opportunity and grabbed Donald's cage, and then he went to Alice to try and sneak her out! But before he could, a whip wrapped itself around Goofy's waist and pulled him in! Mortimer pulled his whip back, looked down at Goofy and said, "Why don't ya sit for a while, 'Ubuu'? The trail's not over yet! We've still got a separation to plan for missy here AND HER HEAD!"

"I HAVE THE EVIDENCE!"

The room was silent as Sora ran through the crowed and towards the Queen. Sora brought out 5 boxes before the Queen and said, "I searched everywhere to prove Alice's innocence, and as it turns out, the proof was hidden in that big maze of yours, your majesty! In these boxes are pieces of Mortimer's Golem Army!" The King stepped down to examine the boxes, and as he did, Sora explained, "The first box has the tail of a Rabbid Dog Golem, while the second had an antenna of a Shadow Golem. The third holds a helmet from the Soldier; the fourth holds a claw from a Neoshadow, and as for the fifth, a shoe from a Large Body. These were all pieces of monsters hidden by Mortimer to use for a secret invasion on the Kingdom."

"TH-THAT'S A LIE!"

Mortimer trembled as almost everyone in the courtroom looked and whispered about him suspiciously.

Mortimer thought to himself, _This isn't over you brat! I still have my secret weapon!_ "(ahem) Congrats Sora, you've done well for your new master. But to honor our original friendship, I took with me a piece of evidence that links our past together. BEHOLD, A PHOTOGRAPH OF ME AND MY FRIENDS!" Mortimer pulled out a small picture showing him fishing along with three figures behind him. He then handed it over to the Queen, who examined it along with the King.

As the royal duo looked at the picture, Mortimer said to everyone, "It's like I said earlier your highness, 'these guys were my best palls' until the witch named Alice stole their hearts and turned them into her eternal slaves! Ladies and gentlemen of the jury, do the democratic thing and see to it that this little brat sees justice done! TAKE HER LIFE, AND TAKE HER SPELL OFF MY FRIENDS-!"

"It's fake."

"WHAAAAAA?!"

The King looked at the Queen and said, "Behold my dear, these faces behind this person's back were painted on! See how the paint is so easily wiped off from my fingers?" The Queen nodded, "This is an outrage! This rat was planning to use THIS to look innocent to me?! ME OF ALL PEOPLE?! HE MUST'VE TAKEN ME FOR A FOOL!" Mortimer sweated and said, "Uh…no I didn't." Sora then said, "Oh, and don't forget the part where he was ordering the Queen's jury."

"_**HE ORDERED MY JURY?!**_"

Mortimer tried to say something, but the Queen knew the truth, "Everything this worm said to me was a lie! And to make it worse, he believed that HE had the right to order my subjects around! No doubt that after this day, he'll think he can order my soldiers around, he'll try and steal my food, take my croquet clubs and play a game without me! HE'LL THINK HIMSELF TO BE OF A HIGHER ROYALTY THEN I! _**THIS TRAITOR MUST NOT BE ALLOWED TO BELIEVE THAT, I'LL HAVE HIS HEAD BEFORE HE CAN EVEN HAVE THE THOUGHT!**_"

Mortimer then said, "Y-you d-don't understand, your majesty! I would never-!"

"_**N**__**OW YOU WOULD DARE TO BELITTLE MY INTELLECT?!**_"

The Queen's temper was out of control, and Mortimer was helpless. So the Queen pointed at him and yelled with a thunder-cracking voice, "_**OFF…WITH HIS HEAD!**_"

Sora smiled and said to himself, "Hmph, all according to plan!" The Cheshire Cat appeared next to him, and the two exchanged a high five, and with that, the Cat disappeared. Mortimer was then seized by the Card Soldiers and taken away.

Alice then asked, "Sora, was that the-?" Sora answered, "Yup, it turns out that the Cheshire Cat was the greatest Ace up my sleeve. I needed more time to find clues to Mortimer's Army, and the Cheshire Cat warned me about the Queen's temper, so I thought that since Goofy might need some assistance with distracting the Queen, the Cat would put on a show, keeping everyone distracted. But the Queen was the hard part, she would get angry at anyone who ticked her off, and since Mortimer would occasionally manipulate the Queen into hating Alice, I had to do the same. I knew the rat would have a picture to try and make himself look innocent, but the plan had nothing to do with how stupid he was in giving a recently painted picture to the Queen. So as he was talking to the Jury, trying to make Alice take the punishment, it came to me! The Queen wants everything HER way, so if she knew Mortimer was ordering her men around, then she wouldn't be able to forgive him! Mortimer's cocky ego turned out to be his downfall!"

Alice and Goofy clapped at Sora's success. The group was then joined by Donald after one of the Card Soldiers opened the cage he was in and released him. Donald then said, "Well I must admit, I'm pretty amazed at you kid! You're almost as smart as that Edward kid." Sora smiled and said, "Aw, it was nothing! I just did what every Y. O. U. T. H. Assassin would do; think!" Donald laughed, "Really? How often does that happen?" The group laughed as Sora crossed his arms in annoyance.

"Wh-what are those things?!"

Sora and the group looked back and were shocked to see the boxes of evidence bursting open to reveal mutated Golems! As the creatures were fended off by the Card Soldiers, Sora wondered, "The Golem pieces! But, how can they come back to life like that?!"

Suddenly, a whip struck Sora's right arm, causing him to fall to his knees and cradle his wounded arm!

"Really kid, you haven't figured it out?! Crimson made the Golems and he needed followers to aid him with his army! That's where people like ME come in!" Mortimer bragged as he leapt up towards the Queen of Hearts's throne. Mortimer continued, "HA-CHA-CHA-CHAAAA! That old muscle-head couldn't go everywhere, so he hired me, one of his many followers, to go off into different territories and countries and find more followers! He was a fool who wanted more fighters and soldiers! But me…"

Just then, Mortimer's hand started to glow, and he plunged his hand into the Queen's chest! As his glowing hand reached into the Queen, he continued, "…I'm a thinker! And I've been plotting ever since I was employed by 'red-head'! The Golem King had no interest in other methods of power, methods like the Hearts of Light, hearts that held within them a power linked to alchemy, the same alchemy necessary for forging a real Philosopher Stone!"

"The same alchemy…so you were planning on making a Philosopher Stone?!" Sora asked.

Mortimer shook his head, and pulled out a glowing item in the shape of a heart! Mortimer explained, "I said it was the same, I never said I was going to make one! These hearts alone have the power to act as a Philosopher Stone, but when all seven are together, they create a force even more powerful than that!" Donald pulled out his staff and asked, "What are you planning Mortimer?!" Mortimer replied, "Something special, something unstoppable, AND SOMETHING YOU WON'T LIVE TO SEE!"

Mortimer jumped over the group and headed for the exit! The heroes and the Card Soldiers went after him, but to Sora, Donald, and Goofy's surprise, the creatures from the evidence boxes came in their way! The strange creatures then started to join together into a new Golem…

The antennae became two, and from the ends of them came yellow eyes. The claw and foot followed and became two, then they, along with the two antennae eyes merged with the growing tail, which became a body with a bent/crooked looking tail! The strange new creature then grabbed the helmet and absorbed it! As it did, its skin changed into a metallic armadillo-like shell!

"It-it's like some over-sized snail!" Donald said.

"…With arms and legs of course." Goofy added.

Sora took out his Keyblade, pointed it at the strange, new Golem, and said, "Keep your guard up guys, that thing might look flimsy…but it might surprise us!"

End of Chapter 77

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**The Elric Brothers are assigned with a substitute bodyguard while an old enemy surprises Sora by helping him...**

**Please Comment!  
**


	78. Chapter 78

**Last time, the trail brought in the Mad Hatter as a witness, but the little man's confession brought forth amazing news, today was the Queen's Unbirthday. Everyone celebrated as the Queen received a cake and a beautiful crown, but to her shock, it was the Cheshire Cat! While the cat distracted everyone, Donald and Goofy tried to get Alice out of the courtroom, but Mortimer caught them! Luckily, Sora arrived with the evidence needed to prove Alice's innocence and reveal Mortimer's Secret Army of Golems.**

**Mortimer was taken into custody, Alice was proven innocent, and Donald was set free. Things were starting to look good for the group, at least until Mortimer resurrected the Golems in the evidence boxes and fused them into a new Golem called the Aster-Florian, a snail-like monster with claws and legs! The rat then confessed about his role as one of Crimson's Golem Leaders and stole the Queen's heart! He then proceeded to telling the group about his master plan, to betray Crimson and collect 7 Hearts of Light, hearts that (when brought together) can unleash great power! Mortimer then escaped, leaving Sora, Donald, and Goofy to deal with the new monstrosity...**

**Warning: Kingdom Hearts and Fullmetal Alchemist are both licensed by Square-Enix. The secondary licenses for both franchises are Disney (Kingdom Hearts), Aniplex, Bones Inc., and Funimation (Fullmetal Alchemist). **

**PS: There will be spoilers.**

* * *

Fullmetal Kingdom: The Fanfic

Chapter 78: Unexpected Allies

In Destiny Islands, the soldiers returned to the military HQ to speak with the colonel. In the office, Edward, Alphonse, and the others were still waiting for Sora to arrive, but after the soldiers reported the situation, Mustang reported, "Well Ed, our one and only 'palm-tree head' is nowhere to be found. Missing since yesterday…obviously he's been captured by someone."

Alphonse asked, "Do you believe that masked man, Crimson could be responsible?" Mustang answered, "It's possible since that ape's been using the Golems to try and get him. But we can't be sure, yet. Allots been happening since he arrived, a deathmatch with his old friend Riku, witnessing Scar's handiwork on the Brigadier General, his Avenger demolished like your Automail and Al's body. Need I say more?"

Ed sighed, "So I can't go to Risembool yet? (sigh) He's been trouble for me since the day you hand-picked him to follow me around." Al then asked, "But brother, he's been trying really hard to help you. We can't simply abandon him, can we? Not after everything he did for us." Ed looked at Al and said, "The idiot's probably gotten himself killed Al! I'm sure you've noticed…he's…he's always…risking his own life…tch, I'M GOING OUT-!"

Suddenly, Armstrong grabbed Ed and placed him in a chair and said, "He cares for you, Edward! Don't you think THAT would be the obvious reason that he's risking his life for you? This isn't a paying job, Edward; it's a way of life for the Y. O. U. T. H. Assassin! Or at least, it's Sora's way. The boy wouldn't want you to go out and let Scar find you and finish you off, he'd want you safe" Hawkeye then said, "He's right Fullmetal. It would be suicide to go out without at least SOMEONE watching your back."

Mustang then asked, "So Ed, say whether or not a bodyguard comes with you over to Rissembool, where would you go to afterwords?" Ed answered, "I'll be going to Central. There's something at the library there I've gotta check." Hughes nodded and said, "So the only problem we have right now is who to send in Sora's place…I would volunteer, but, well, since the fuhrer's going straight to Central, and I'm part of his escort, I can't go."

(FLEX)

Mustang then said, "They just put me back in charge of East City's HQ, so I've gotta go look after the place." Hawkeye then added, "And I've got to look after the colonel."

(FLEX)

Havok crossed his arms and said, "You could send me, but I don't know how much help I could be against a fanatic alchemist serial killer."

"SAME GOES FOR ME!" said Breda, Feury, and Falman.

'(_**TWINKLE**_)'

"That settles it, _SIGN ME UP!_ Until the whereabouts of Sora are known, I'll protect the boys on their journey of repairs AND investigation!" said (surprisingly) Alex Louis Armstrong. Ed barked, "ARE YOU KIDDING?! We don't need another bodyguard!" Hawkeye then said, "Really Ed, then what are you going to do against Scar without an Automail Arm?" Ed was speechless, so he sat back down. Havok then pointed out, "You can't fight, let alone carry your brother back to Rissembool. Just go with the major for now, OK?" Armstrong then said, "CHILDREN SHOULD LISTEN TO ADULTS!" Angered once again, Ed argued, "Y-you can't just call us 'children'! Come on Al, help me out here-!"

"This is the first time anyone's treated me like a kid since I've been in this armor! Thank you!" Al said as his eyes cried tears of joy.

Mustang then said, "Learn from that little brother of yours Ed, be content with what you have now. And you don't need to worry about Sora. I'll ask the police of this town to keep an eye out for him, AND the two farm animals." Mustang then left the office to tend to some business, then Armstrong said, "The time…the next train is about to leave the station Edward. We'd better pack our bags." Ed grumbled for a bit and nodded.

As the group headed out to the train station, Ed thought to himself, _Damn it Sora, where are you?!_

"**I'M IN TROUBLE!**"

Back in Wonderland, Sora was dealing with a Golem mixed with pieces of Mortimer's secret army. The Golem had Sora in its clutches, and it threw him against the courtroom's seats! As Sora was recuperating, Donald stepped in and yelled, "You Golems are all alike, think you've got the bull by the horn…and you get him MAD as the 'FIRES' of Hell!"

Donald made a successful shot of flame at the Golem! And the force of the attack blew him away!

Donald patted the muscle on his staff-wielding arm and said, "_WHO'S DA MAN!_"

Goofy patted Donald on the shoulder and said, "That was a good one Donald, but Mortimer's gitt'n away! Shouldn't we go after him now?" Donald nodded, "Yeah, you're right! He'll probably make for the exit or something." Alice then asked, "W-wait, what about me? I thought you were going to help me get home!" Donald answered, "I'm still going to help you Alice, but Mortimer's the top priority right now! If he gets away with that Heart of Light, we're done for!"

Donald and Goofy make for the exit to chase after Mortimer, and when Sora woke up, he noticed the two Genomes and said, "HEY, WAIT FOR ME!"

But before anything could happen, the Golem roared and pounded the floor! And from that punch, came a barrier to seal anyone inside with it! Sora noticed the shockwave's effects, so he grabbed Alice and threw her out before she could be trapped!

Alice got up and ran to Sora, but was surprised when she bumped into an invisible barrier! Alice pounded her fists on the wall, trying to reach Sora, but the Keybearer looked at her and said, "Stay in the Rose Garden, I'll meet you there when I'm done with this butt-ugly slug!" As soon as the boy's sentence was finished, the back of the Golem was emitting a strange fluid that rose up into the air! The fluid turned into a shape of curved spikes, then, it started to burn! The burning shape merged with the Golem and changed its armor into a red colored armor that emitted small bits of flame!

Sora knew that there was no time to waste, so he took out his Keyblade, the Lady Luck, and charged at the beast! Sora attempted to jump in the air to try and cut the Golem in half, but the creature threw a fireball at Sora, sending him downwards! The monster then charged at Sora as he fell, and rammed him into the barrier wall!

Dazed by the attack, Sora was barely able to stand, let alone hold his weapon steadily.

"So, Mortimer summoned the Aster-Florian. I must admit, that traitor's got some talent!"

Sora then noticed Crimson sitting on the Queen's desk. Looking down at Sora while crossing his arms, Crimson smirked, "Don't be so surprised, when a pack of wolves hunt for their pray, you can always bet the alpha-male is close by." Crimson then jumped down to the floor and continued speaking, "Speaking of the alpha-male, where's the dwarf?" Sora answered, "Ed's not here at the moment, but I'll be glad to kick your ass for him." Crimson then asked, "_**REALLY?**_ …well Mr. Keyblade Master, maybe I'll be on my way since you aren't in a mood to listen to my words of wisdom-."

"What wisdom?! All you have to do and say relate to nothing but senseless destruction!" Sora yelled.

Crimson nodded, "(sigh) I guess you're right. Destruction IS why I'm here after all, especially when it concerns one of my own creatures." Sora wondered what he meant, so Crimson explained, "Haven't you figured it out? I'm here to help you!"

Sora's eyes and mouth hung wide open in astonishment…

"You're…gonna help me?" Sora asked. Crimson nodded cheerfully, "_**YUPPERTH!**_" Annoyed, Sora yelled, "HEY, WHAT WAS THAT?! You can't just act all 'kiddy' with me!" Sora pointed his blade at Crimson and asked, "You're just toying with me, aren't you?! AREN'T YOU?!" Crimson wondered, "What's with the attitude? I'm not trying to push your buttons or anything, I'm just here to talk 'bout the elemental beast over there."

"…Elemental Beast?!"

Crimson explained, "Yes, the Aster-Florian is an Elemental Beast. It specializes in all 4 basic elements. The elements are as follows, Fire, Ice, Lightning, and Water. It can use these forces to its advantage and defeat the enemy by either burning them alive, freezing them instantly, electrocuting them to death, or drowning them." Sora felt unsure about Crimson's attitude while explaining, so he asked, "You enjoy talking about death, don't you?" Crimson ignored the Keybearer and said, "HOWEVER…there is a weakness to the Aster-Florian's way of fighting. To best the beast, you must fight LIKE the beast! Use the opposing spells-."

(BASH)

To Crimson's surprise, the Aster-Florian's tail made contact with his face, sending him straight through a row of seats! As the Golem King crashed, Sora noticed his mask flying in the sky, and dropping before the Keybearer's feet…

"I guess not all Golems are loyal to their master." Sora said.

The Golem then turned towards Sora and prepared its fists for a burning punch when suddenly, it started choking…

"I began the Golems…_**and I can end them!**_"

Sora then saw Crimson rise back up while covering his face and walking towards the creature that attacked him. As the Golem King slowly walked, Sora noticed something seeming out of his face and dripping from the hand that covered it…

Sora wondered, "Is that…Red Water?"

"_**Don't you DARE look at my face Keyblade Master!**_" the Golem King yelled as he kicked the Aster-Florian away! However, the attack only made the creature even more infuriated, so it tried to tackle Crimson. But the creature found itself chocking again, thus, its attack was stopped. Crimson came before Sora, picked his mask back up, and placed it back on his face. He then turned towards the Aster-Florian and said, "You see Sora, the Golems can be manipulated by ANYONE with a heart drenched in darkness, including Mortimer. However, one thing that will never change is the control I have over the creature's vital organs…which I made to break down in case of say, a treacherous rebelling. THIS is how I remind my pets of who is truly the 'TOP DOG'."

The Golem stopped chocking, but it shivered and cried in fear at the merciless Golem King that stood before it. Crimson then looked at Sora and said, "**AS I WAS SAYING**…you must use the opposing elements to defeat it. You've mastered a few, correct?" Sora nervously nodded, "Y-yeah, Fire and Ice." Crimson shook his head and said, "THAT'S IT?! That's all you've got?! You're supposed to be the Keyblade's new master, yet here you are, inexperienced and lacking! I thought you would've learned at least three spells thus far, but no, a novice is all you are today, _PAAAAAAAAAATHETIC!_"

Annoyed, Sora argued, "Hey shut up! I'm not perfect, y'know! Things like this aren't easy to learn in 10 seconds!" Crimson argued, "YES THEY ARE, STUPID! Anyway, I'll tell you the basics of elemental weaknesses since you clearly have no understanding of it (Sora: "BASTARD!"). The element that this creature is using is based on the element of heat, Fire. So to counter it, you will need to use the weakness of heat. You DO know what the opposite of heat is, right?" Sora replied, "Uh…cool water?"

"An infant, I swear to God, _**YOU'RE AN INFANT!**_" Crimson said.

Crimson then grabbed Sora by the hair and yelled, "Cool Ice, **D****UMMY!** ICE IS FIRE'S OPPOSING ELEMENTAL WEAKNESS!" Sora yelled, "**QUIT CALLING ME NAMES!**"

"_**DUMMY-DUMMY-DUMMY-DUMMY-DUMMY-DUMMY-DUMMY-DUMMY-!**_"

"_**I SAID QUIT IT!**_"

"Aw forget it, **BLIZZARD!**" Sora pointed his blade at the Aster-Florian and shot a chunk of Ice at it!

(CRASH)

The Ice attack doused the flames on the creature's body, thus exposing its weakened form! Crimson nodded proudly, and then he patted Sora on the back while saying, "Way to go, kiddo. Maybe you AREN'T a wasted effort after all." Sora walked away from Crimson and said "After I clobber this thing, YOU'RE NEXT!" Crimson faked being scared, "Ooooh, 'Palmtree' wants me to panic! Just get the job done already!"

The Golem King then pushed Sora towards the Aster-Florian. Then the Keybearer prepared to continue the fight against the strange monster before him…

End of Chapter 78

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**Next Chapter, Sora's battle concludes with an unbelievable ending while Donald & Goofy confront Mortimer...**

**Please Comment!**


	79. Chapter 79

**Last time, Sora's disappearance forced Mustang to pick a temporary replacement for the Elric's bodyguard, and the the brothers' shock Major Alex Louis Armstrong volunteered his services to keep them safe from threats similar to Scar.**

**Back in Wonderland, Sora, Donald, and Goofy fought a new Golem beast called the Aster-Florian, an elemental creature who's weakness depends on the spells it uses. Unfortunately, Sora hasn't mastered all of his elemental spells, so the battle was obviously not going in his favor. Donald and Goofy decide to chase Mortimer and arrest him before he escapes with the Queen of Hearts' heart, but when Sora tried to follow, a force-field blocked him from his friends and Alice. Suddenly, Crimson arrived on the scene, but as an ally to Sora. He began explaining how opposing spells could weaken the elemental foe, and right now, the Aster-Florian was using the element of Fire. Sora used the Blizzard spell and turned the tables on the monster! Now the REAL fight begins...**

**Warning: Kingdom Hearts and Fullmetal Alchemist are both licensed by Square-Enix. The secondary licenses for both franchises are Disney (Kingdom Hearts), Aniplex, Bones Inc., and Funimation (Fullmetal Alchemist). **

**PS: There will be spoilers.**

* * *

Fullmetal Kingdom: The Fanfic

Chapter 79: The Hearts of Light

"HA-CHA-CHA-CHAAAA! Run, run, run as fast as you can, you can't catch me, I'M FASTER THAN YOU!" Mortimer bragged as Donald, Goofy, and the Card Soldiers followed in hot pursuit.

Donald tried shooting fireballs at Mortimer while the Card Soldiers chucked spears at him. Mortimer dodged them one after another and yelled, "Aw come on! My Aunt Jessie throws bigger fits than y-!"

(BASH)

Unexpectedly, Mortimer found himself tackled by Goofy, who used his shield like a projectile weapon and knocked the rat into a wall! Goofy helped Mortimer back up and asked, "Gwarsh Morty, are you OK?" Mortimer nodded, "Yeah…yeah, back's killing me, but other than that-." Goofy then said, "Oh, your back, that's nothing to worry about! Here, I can fix it." Mortimer tried to run, but Goofy grabbed him by the wrists and the legs, placed his foot against Mortimer's back, and pushed…

"AAAAAAGH, DARN-IT GOOF-BRAIN, YOUR STUPID FOOT ISN'T-!"

(snap)

"Oh…hey, that actually worked! My back feels great!" Mortimer said after Goofy released him. Goofy patted Mortimer on the shoulder and said, "Glad to hear that Mort. Let me know if anything goes wrong with your back again." Mortimer nodded, then he said, "Actually, my shoulder's been killing me since Crimson challenged me to that arm-wrestling match." Goofy was shocked, so he said, "WHAT?! A man with that amount of muscles in his arms shouldn't be challenging his followers to such harmful games! He should be doing other things like-…uh…like, uh…um…"

Mortimer dusted his shoulders and said, "Yeah, look, I gotta go." Goofy nodded, "Oh, I understand, but like I said, if anything happens to that back again, contact me immediately-."

"SNAP HIS LEGS GOOFY, HE'S GETTING AWAY!"

Goofy tries to grab Mortimer, who lumped away and said, "THANKS AGAIN SAP!"

Suddenly, Mortimer noticed that the Queen's hear was emitting strange waves. He pulled it out to observe the problem…only to be blasted away by the waves!

Mortimer was blown into Donald and the Card Soldiers, and as the group started to get back on their feet, Goofy asked, "Uh, Donald, is a Heart of Light supposed to do that?" Donald looked and saw the Queen's heart rumbling and twitching with black aura bursting out of it! Donald shook his head and answered, "…nope, nothing in the books about a Heart of Light doing THAT!"

Meanwhile, back in the courtroom, Sora was ready to shoot another Ice spell at the Aster-Florian.

Sora yelled, "Think you're hot stuff, huh? Well let's see whacha got!" But when Sora shot the Ice at it, the Aster-Florian caught it…with a hand made of ice…

"DID I MENTION HE WAS AN ELEMENTAL BEAST?!" Crimson asked.

Sora replied, "**SHUT-UP-!**"

(SMASH)

Sora's face was suddenly met with a heavy chunk of ice. As the Keybearer got up, he noticed his tongue was stuck to the chunk of ice that knocked him down! "_AW CWAPH (crap)!_" Sora said.

Sora then tried to pull his tongue off the ice, but as he was pulling, the Aster-Florian was walking towards him with its claws incased in sharp pointed Icy nails. Sora begged, "C'mon you _phoopid fung, uet ee uo (stupid tongue, let me go)!_"

"Golem, located at 12 O'clock!"

Sora slowly looked up to see the Aster-Florian preparing to skewer him! As he looked with fear, Sora thought, _It's going to kill me if I don't get free! Those icy claws look sharp enough to take my entire shoulder off in one-WAIT A MINUTE, ICY…THAT'S IT!_ The Keybearer picked his Lady Luck Keyblade up, pointed it at the Golem and said, "_**FIRE!**_"

The Golem's arm was suddenly gone in an instant, melted away by the Fire spell! As the Aster-Florian shrieked in pain, Sora took the chance and sliced through the creature's torso!

Annoyed, the Aster-Florian regenerated it's arms and prepared an all-out assault! Its left fist became encased in Ice while it's right fist was coated in Fire!

"OK, no more openings, let's finish this."

The Aster-Florian attacked with the left fist, freezing Sora's leg. Sora was caught off-guard, but as it threw a right hook of flame, Sora blocked it and used his frozen foot not only to kick the monster away, but free his leg from the frozen ice!

The Golem however, wasn't going to let Sora get away with the attack, so it unleashed a large breath of flame at Sora, trying to fry the Keybearer like a piece of toast! Sora rolled away to avoid the fire, but he was caught off-guard by the Aster-Florian's Ice breath, which froze the floor, and forced Sora to slip and slide against a wall!

As the Keybearer was trying to regain his senses, the Aster-Florian jumped in the air and attempted to crush Sora with a body slam! As Sora noticed the shadow getting closer, he jumped away as the creature destroyed a part of the floor with its destructive attack!

Sora quickly got up and threw his Keyblade at the creature, slicing through its shoulder. But surprisingly, the Aster-Florian caught the Keyblade as it came back behind it, and attacked Sora with it! Sora dodges the attacks one after another, but the creature's swings and swipes were getting faster! So Sora tried to grab the blade by the handle, but the Aster-Florian anticipated the attempt and kicked Sora between the legs, stunning him temporarily, and then batting the young hero away like a Golf Ball!

As Sora fell to the ground, Crimson asked, "Is the Keyblade Master finished already? Disappointing, since your predecessor would've finished this fight with more ease. If THIS is all you can muster, then there's no way you can defeat your true enemy!"

"…my true enemy?"

As Sora wondered what Crimson meant, the Aster-Florian was ready to chop Sora to bits…

But as the Golem swung the Keyblade, Sora jumped out of the way, kicked the creature in the face, and reclaimed the Keyblade!

The Aster-Florian staggered on its feet for a bit before unleashing a breath of Ice on Sora!

But the Keybearer focused his Keyblade at it and unleashed a massive amount of flame, which melted through the Ice breath, and gave Sora the chance to behead the beast and release its heart!

After the barrier disappeared, Alice ran to Sora and cheered, "That was amazing Sora! I feared the worst when that creature took your sword, but what you did after that-I mean, WOW! WHAT A FATALITY!" Sora blushed and said, "Aw heck, I was only lucky." Alice shook her head and said, "Oh poo! The courage you had was as magnificent as your skills with your sword!"

(slow clapping)

"But as 'magnificent' as they were, you still have a long way to go." Crimson said as he stopped clapping.

Alice hid behind Sora as he clutched his sword close. Sora then asked, "What did you mean about 'my true enemy'?" Crimson answered, "Why the military of course. You'd be surprised at what evil slumbers beneath that bull they call 'truth and justice'." Sora pointed his sword at Crimson and said, "This happened before, back in East City. You tried to lure me over to your side by saying 'you'd teach me how to use the Keyblade' or something like that. I'm NOT gullible Crimson, and I'm NOT going to join you!"

Crimson sighed and said, "Fine, but whether you join me or not is inconsequential! _I'm taking the __**Heart of Light!**_" Sora then said, "So you're after it like Mortimer! Well in case you missed it, the rat-face took it already! You can tell since the Queen over there is singing the 'log song'."

"ZZZZZZZZZ-ZZZZZZZZZZZZZ-."

"…heh…heh heh…HA-HA-HA-HA-HA-HA-HA, _AAAAAAAH-HA-HA-HA-HA-HA-HAAAAAA!_"

As Crimson stopped laughing, he smacked Sora across the face, then he took Sora by the coat and threw him down hard, making a crater out of a part of the floor!

As Sora lied on the ground, shocked by the attack, Crimson yelled, "The Queen?! _**THE QUEEN?!**_** THAT FAT WENCH WOULDN'T KNOW LIGHT IF SHE TURNED ON A LAMP!** The Hearts of Light are found only in the most pure-hearted, peaceful human beings on the planet! Princesses, peasants, ugly faces with hearts of gold, people like that, THOSE are the ones who house these hearts within them! The Queen of Hearts was nothing more than a fat, pompous, bad-tempered, old tyrant with a love for decapitation! She wasn't even close to the true heir, the true shell, the true possessor of the Heart of Light!" Sora looked at Crimson and realized, "(cough)…so THAT'S what you wanted from me…you wanted my heart all along!"

Crimson shook his head and said, "Wrong Mr. Hero, VERY wrong indeed…"

Sora then realized the truth…

…the Golem King was after Alice!

"ALICE, RUN!"

Alice tried to run towards the exit, but Crimson was quick to summon Soldiers to grab the girl! Alice struggled to get free, but Crimson walked towards her, squeezed a part of her neck, and knocked her unconscious! Crimson turned towards Sora and explained, "Kids today don't know the meaning of defense; you have to teach them everything about the world before the world comes to you, right Sora?"

Sora stood up and demanded, "Release her…NOW!" Crimson apologized, "Sorry Sora, she's a keeper, and she keeps something within her that I need. Something that, when combined with 6 other Hearts of Light, would give me exactly what I need to tear Central City to shreds!"

Sora charged at Crimson to try and stop him, but it was too late, the Golem King, Alice, and his cronies vanished into thin air!

"_**CONSIDER THIS PAYMENT FOR MY ADVICE AGAINST ONE OF MY GOLEM MINIONS!**_"

Enraged by Crimson's actions, Sora yelled, "GIVE HER BACK, YOU COWARD! GIVE HER BACK!"

Suddenly, a black heart flew past Sora and merged into the Queen of Hearts! The Queen woke up, rubbed her eyes, and noticed Sora yelling for Crimson to return while swinging his Keyblade in anger. Annoyed, the Queen of Hearts yelled, "**SIIIIIIIIIIIIII****IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIILENCE!**" The thunderous voice frightened Sora, stopping him from moving and yelling.

Sora then noticed Donald and Goofy walking in with the Card Soldiers, who were holding Mortimer. The King of Hearts came in, noticed the Queen was awake, and rushed to her, hugging her with tearful eyes, "Oh my dear, I thought I lost you for good!" The Queen grabbed the King by the collar and said, "I was right here you little twit!" Despite the Queen's temper, the King smiled and hugged her again.

As the Card Soldiers marched away with Mortimer in their custody, Donald and Goofy noticed Sora's disappointed look. So Donald asked, "What's the matter?" Goofy then noticed someone missing, "Gwarsh, that's odd, where did Alice go?" Donald replied, "…She's probably back in her home world, that must be why Sora's so miserable-."

"_**CRIMSON KIDNAPPED HER!**_"

Donald and Goofy's faces went pale and frightened…

Goofy asked, "Y-ya mean the tall strong guy with a mask?" Donald furiously said, "B-but why would he?! She's just a little girl! WHY WOULD HE-?!" Sora answered, "She possessed one of the Hearts of Light. He said that with all 7 Hearts of Light, he can destroy Central City…AND I LET HIM GET AWAY!"

As Sora cried out in anger, Goofy noticed something glowing...a strange giant Keyhole appeared on the Queen's desk! Goofy nudged Donald on the shoulder and asked, "Uh Donald, what's that?!" Donald noticed the Keyhole and said, "I don't know Goofy…but maybe…" Donald turned to Sora and said, "Look Sora, I know you're angry, but look over there, that Keyhole just appeared!"

Sora looked and saw the glowing Keyhole, and to his surprise, the Keyblade in his hand was starting to resonate with it! Wondering what was happening, Sora pointed the Keyblade at the Keyhole and in an instant, a beam of light shot out and went through the Keyhole!

(CLUNK)

"Sounds like you locked something!" Donald said. Goofy wondered, "Maybe that's how a Summoning ends. Remember how we were called here because Mortimer arrived with the Golems? Well since I don't see any Golems coming to Mortimer's aid, I'm guessing Crimson took that power away from Mortimer, and now that all the Golems are gone, this world has just been saved! We did what we were summoned to do (ahyuk)!" Sora still looked sad as he said, "…yeah, but Alice is…"

"D-DID YOU CRETINS TRY TO SHOOT ME?!" The Queen asked.

Sora, Donald, and Goofy shook their heads, but the Queen didn't seem to believe them. So she looked at her soldiers and ordered, "These treacherous tyrants tried to toast me! SEIZE THEM! OFF WITH THEIR HEADS!" Donald yelled, "Hey lady, you can't just do that! We saved your creepy heart from Mortimer!" The Queen didn't listen, so her Card Soldiers charged at the group! But suddenly, they vanished into thin air!

The Queen wondered, "W-where did those psychos go?!" The King answered, "Who knows my dear, who knows?"

End of Chapter 79

* * *

**Next Chapter, Mortimer receives his punishment while Sora meets some old friends...  
**

**Please Comment.**


	80. Chapter 80

**Last time, Mortimer's attempt to escape was thwarted when Donald and Goofy caught up to him. And as Mortimer was apprehended by the Card Soldiers, the Queen of Hearts' heart was returned to it's rightful place, in the Queen's body.**

**Meanwhile, Sora continued his epic battle with the Aster-Floreon by unleashing the opposing spells and decapitating the beast! Though he was triumphant, Crimson explained to Sora who the 'true' enemy was. The Golem King explained that the military was indeed the force Sora should've been fighting, but when he remembered Crimson saying something similar during Xehanort's honorary party, Sora refused to believe the masked man. After that, Crimson beat Sora like a dog and kidnapped Alice, explaining that people like Alice, who's hearts were filled with pure good, are the true possessors of the Hearts of Light.**

**As Crimson took his 'payment', Sora met with Donald and Goofy, and told them the bad news. However, a giant glowing Keyhole appeared on the Queen's chair, and Sora's Lady Luck Keyblade locked it, thus ending their Summoning and saving Wonderland from the Golem threat! The heroes were then teleported home while leaving Mortimer to his fate...**

**Warning: Kingdom Hearts and Fullmetal Alchemist are both licensed by Square-Enix. The secondary licenses for both franchises are Disney (Kingdom Hearts), Aniplex, Bones Inc., and Funimation (Fullmetal Alchemist). **

**PS: There will be spoilers.**

* * *

Fullmetal Kingdom: The Fanfic

Chapter 80: Back to Work

"N-no your majesty, it's not what you think! I-I was forced to steal your heart, that was it!" Mortimer said as he was forced by the Card Soldiers to lower his head. Mortimer continued to beg, "Please your highness, this doesn't have to happen! I could clean your valuable treasures, I could water the roses in the garden, I COULD EVEN ORDER ROOM SERVICE!"

"Is the Executioner ready?" The Queen asked. The Black-hooded Card Soldier nodded while he pulled the rope to lift the guillotine blade…

Mortimer struggled to get free, but the Card Soldiers were too strong for him. He then yelled, "You can't do this, not to me! I was a faithful servant; you have to give me a chance to prove my innocence!" The Queen then said, "I've done one trial, I'm not wasting another 10 hours just so I could do another!" Mortimer wined, "_**PLEEEEEEEEAAAAAAASE**_ (wining and crying)_**, I DON'T WANNA DIE, I DON'T WANNA!**_"

The Queen snapped her fingers…

…the Executioner nodded…

…released the rope…

…and watched as Mortimer yelled, "**CRIMSON SHALL RAIN OVER ALL-!**"

"**Indeed it will.**"

"?!"

At that instant, Mortimer felt something crushing his throat! It wasn't a blade…but the heel of a heavy boot!

"Have you learned your lesson yet, 'MORTY'?" Crimson asked as Mortimer chocked. Mortimer nodded, "Y-y-yes I have my lord! (gack) I've learned my place! (GLARCK) N-now please-(HEEEGHK)!" Crimson whispered, "Please…**what?**" Mortimer looked at his savior and said, "P-p-please t-take p-pity on m-m-e…"

…

"I'll take the last shred of pity you have and make your days the worst you've ever had! Remember Mortimer and remember well, _**I**_ am in charge, _**I**_ am the Golem King, and _**I**_ will not tolerate a second betrayal!" Crimson said as he lifted his heel from Mortimer's throat, giving him some air to breathe!

As Mortimer wiped the sweat from his brow, he looked around and noticed that he was back in Crimson's Castle, or more precisely, his throne room, "I-I'm back, I'M BACK IN THE REAL WORLD!" Mortimer then noticed someone incased in a tube in the ceiling! The rat asked, "Wait…isn't that the blonde girl I tried to frame?" Crimson pored himself some raspberry wine, cracked open some peanuts, and answered, "How observant of you Mortimer. She is actually one of the seven."

Mortimer then realized, "WHAT?! Y-you mean she's got one of'em inside her?!" Crimson nodded, "Yes, she possesses a Heart of Light found only in other worlds. We just need to find the next fragile and kind-hearted soul in the next world, and we'll get closer to our main goal." Mortimer then asked, "Then send me to the next world Crimson! I know what a proper host is now. And when I bring her or him back, then all of Amestris will surely be yours!"

"Why would I desire what I wish to annihilate?"

Mortimer was confused at first, so Crimson explained, "I don't want to rule Amestris, Mortimer. _I WANT TO DESTROY IT!_"

Meanwhile, back in Aerugo in Destiny Islands, a certain Keyblade Master woke up alongside Donald and Goofy, who were amazed at what just happened.

Donald cheered, "We did it guys! We accomplished our first Summoning! Now that Sora's skills have gotten stronger, we have a better chance of finding the president!" Sora rubbed his head and said, "Who cares about that? Crimson just kidnapped Alice, and we have no idea where that bastard is keeping her! I now have to save 2 girls while protecting the Elric Brothers from harm! I don't have time to save your leader!"

As Sora walked off, Donald and Goofy's faces were filled with horror, as their only hope for finding the president of Fantasia walked away from them…

Donald clenched his fists in anger while Goofy patted his feathery friend on the back and said, "Give'em time Donald, he's got allot of responsibilities as a bodyguard. We'll find the president, but only if we follow Sora and keep our spirits high." Donald sighed and went with Goofy to follow the Keyblade Master back to the military HQ…

Hours went by as Sora returned and used the phone to contact his superior officer…

"SONNY-BOY, I THOUGHT I'D NEVER HEAR FROM YOU AGAIN!" Hughes said happily.

The Keybearer sighed and greeted, "…hi dad, how are things going?" Hughes replied, "Terrible Sora, just terrible! After you vanished out of sight, we had to get Ed on a train and over to Rissembool for maintenance." Sora then remembered Scar's attack on Ed and Al and asked, "Uh dad, what about Scar? He nearly killed them, and without an extra hand, Ed and Al are done for! W-wait, don't tell me they went on their own!"

Hughes replied, "Naw, they're fine! We picked someone to keep them company until you get back to them." Sora asked, "Aw good, they're OK. So, who'd you send them with?" Hughes replied, "W-well…"

"**FOCUS BOYS, YOU NEED TO FOCUS ON THE MAT****TER AT HAND!** Flex your muscles and your wit, only then will you be worthy of defending yourself against even the most sinister forces!" Armstrong said as Edward was calling someone on the phone.

As Ed waited, he heard a click…

"Yes, this is the Rockbell Automail specialist, Pinako Rockbell. How may I help you?"

Ed then said, "Hey Pinako, how's business treating you?" The woman on the phone replied, "Well, well, who would've thought I'd get to hear from you boys again? Alphonse IS with you, right?" Ed answered, "Yeah, I'll put him on for you." Armstrong then pushed Al's box over so that the younger brother could answer the phone. Armstrong asked, "Hi Mrs. Rockbell, how're things going in Rissembool?" Pinako replied, "Things have been pretty quiet here Al, my granddaughter misses you both very much."

Al blushed and said, "Well we miss you guys to. We'll be sure to drop by sometime soon." Pinako chuckled, "(chuckle) Look'n forward to it young man. Can you toss the phone back to the pipsqueak?"

"_**I JUST HEARD YOU CALLI**__**N' ME A SCRAWNY PEANUT IN A NUTSHELL SHORTY!**_"

Al gave the phone back to an enraged Ed, who Pinako asked, "So this isn't some old fashioned reunion, is it Ed? I'm guessing that arm of yours is in bad shape already." Ed answered, "Well, the arm…it was…"

Back in Destiny Islands, Sora was already finished with reporting to Hughes about what just happened…

"The Hearts of Light, that's what Crimson's after?" Hughes asked. Sora replied, "Yes, he told me after he took Alice. I tried to stop them…but I failed. I failed, I failed, I FAILED LIKE BEFORE!" Hughes tried to calm Sora down, "Hey, don't take it personal, Sora, we all mess up once in a while, it's not the end of the world." Sora then said, "But now I have to track two girls down, save them from two psychos, and to add heartache to headache, I still have to find the other Y. O. U. T. H. orphans!"

Hughes then said, "Sounds like you've got an unreasonable schedule kiddo. Well how about this, when the Elrics return to Central, you come home and try to take a day off, pretty cool right?" Sora sighed and said, "Dad…it's not that easy. I need to work on finding them, and if I ignore that for one whole day, they could be missing forever! The only thing I can do when I get to Central is to stay with the Elrics and pray to God that Ed has a plan."

Hughes then spoke in a serious tone, "Sora, I took you in so that you could experience life as a free normal child. Please, let my family become yours." Hughes's words caught Sora off guard, making him silent for a few minutes…

In his silence, Sora thought to himself, _Am I really pushing myself too hard? Rose…I still want to save you. But Hughes does have a point; I haven't spent much time with his family since I left for Xenotime. Maybe I could have a break, at least until__ Ed's done with his business there…_

"Hey Sora, are you still there?" Hughes asked.

Sora smiled and said, "OK dad, when I return to Central, I'll come home for a while." Hughes cheered, "Alright, that's good to hear! Grace and Elisia haven't seen you in a while, so I know they'll be happy to see you. And I do believe Vivi and Eiko are here as well, so they'll enjoy having you return as well." Sora nodded and said, "Good to hear, I'll see you soon."

Sora placed the phone back on the booth and said to his friends, "…can you two return to Central? I'd like to travel on my own for a while." Donald walked past him and said, "Go ahead, lie down and take a nap for all I care!" Donald then ran off to the train, while Goofy said, "It's OK Sora, I know that in time, we'll find the president AND your friends. You're the type that never gives up on a mission, but you're also the type who cares for his friends. I just want ya to know that we support you, whether we're together or not. So as long as we all stick together, then there's nuthin to worry about, OK?"

Sora looked at Goofy and said, "Thanks allot Goofy, I'll see you and Donald in Central."

Goofy nodded and chased after Donald…

Now alone, Sora decided to head over to the old Y. O. U. T. H. Orphanage…

As he arrived, he noticed a few Y. O. U. T. H. assassins working and cleaning the place up. As Sora got closer, he drew his Keyblade out, but to his shock, all he could pull out was the Keychain! Lady Luck was gone, and Sora had no way to defend himself!

"Hey guys look, it's Sora! HE'S BACK!"

To Sora's surprise, the assassins ran to him and cheerfully welcomed him!

"Welcome back dude!"

"We thought you'd be gone already!"

"We're glad you didn't!"

"SORA, WE MISSED YOU!"

Sora nervously spoke, "Uh…hey guys. What's going on here?" Suddenly, a white ninja jumped down before the Keybearer, it was none other than Edge, the Y. O. U. T. H. assassin that brought Sora over to Riku a while ago! Edge then said, "We're just fixing up the place. After Riku went psycho and trashed the place with those crazy monsters, we had nowhere to go. So one of us had the idea of fixing the orphanage, and we just ran with the idea." Sora crossed his arms and asked, "Edge, don't you work for Riku?"

Two assassins came to Edge's side and explained…

"He used to, but after what happened to that red-haired girl-."

"He quit Riku's cause, and THAT inspired us to do the same!"

Sora then realized who the two assassins were, "Wait a minute! I know you two! Biggs…and Wedge, right?" The two assassins nodded. The black-haired assassin was the first to introduce himself, "Biggs is my name, and 'big' is my game! I make big bombs, big blades, big everything!" The blonde was next, "And I'm Wedge, we took a chemistry class together once, remember?" Sora replied, "Oh yeah, Wedge, you made a living creating different types of Potion for us whenever we went on a mission!"

Ed then said, "These two were with me ever since I walked away from Riku. They've been my best friends ever since." Sora nodded and said, "Well it looks like you're gonna need all the help you can get."

Biggs then asked, "Say Sora, why don't you stay and help us out for a while?" Sora shook his head and said, "Don't get me wrong, I want to help more than anything, but I've got friends to protect. Two of'em are waiting for me."

(WOOT-WOOT)

"Well, looks like you'll be here longer since that's the last train of the day." Edge said after the train blew the whistle. Sora felt ashamed, "AW CRAP! I could've taken a ride over to Risembool from that train! Instead, I let two other friends use it for Central!" Wedge then gave Sora a broom and said, "Well…since you've got nothing to do for the time being, why not lend a hand?"

Sora took the broom and said, "(sigh) Why not? I've got until tomorrow, so let's do this!"

The assassins cheered and continued working. As they did, Sora swept the ash from the ground and said to himself, "Ah Y. O. U. T. H., what a wonderland."

End of Chapter 80 and the Wonderland Arc

* * *

**Next Chapter, Sora boards a train back to Amestris, beginning his long trip to Risembool...**

**Please Comment!**


	81. Chapter 81

**Last time, Mortimer was sentenced to death by the Queen of Hearts for his previous plot to steal her heart and conquer her kingdom. But as luck would have it, the rat was saved by Crimson, who reveals that he wants nothing to do with ruling Amestris. In fact, the maniac was planing on destroying Amestris, and everyone in it!**

**Back in Aerugo, Sora reported back to his adopted father Hughes about the Summoning he went through, and Crimson's goal to capture the Hearts of Light. Knowing that Sora had allot to do, Hughes suggested a day off as soon as he gets home, the Keyblade Master reluctantly accepted. Sora then asked Donald and Goofy to return to Central while he heads off to Rissembool alone. **

**Before going, he decided to check on his old orphanage one last time, but to his shock, Y. O. U. T. H. Assassins were there, and worst yet, Sora no longer had his Lady Luck Keyblade! But surprisingly, the assassins welcomed him with open arms, as did one of Riku's old followers, Edge, who was working on rebuilding their old home. Unfortunately, Sora's visit cost him the last train for the day, so unintentionally, Sora stayed with his old friends to help out with cleaning the area...**

**Warning: Kingdom Hearts and Fullmetal Alchemist are both licensed by Square-Enix. The secondary licenses for both franchises are Disney (Kingdom Hearts), Aniplex, Bones Inc., and Funimation (Fullmetal Alchemist). **

**PS: There will be spoilers.**

* * *

Fullmetal Kingdom: The Fanfic

Chapter 81: Onward to Rissembool

As the morning came, Sora headed for the train station to leave Destiny Islands and return to Amestris, where Edward and Alphonse will be heading over to Rissembool for maintenance on Ed's Automail. As the train arrived, Sora was greeted by Edge, who asked, "So you're really going back to Amestris?" Sora nodded and explained, "Those two keep getting into trouble Edge, and I have to be there to get them out."

Edge sighed and said, "…well, whether you're with Riku or following your own path, just remember, you'll always have a home with us here." Sora smiled and said, "I know, I'll come see you guys when I've got the time." Edge then brought his hand up to Sora for a hand shake, "Until then, keep us in your heart." Sora shook Edge's hand proudly and said, "Always brother, always."

Suddenly, a voice was heard, "QUICK SORA, CATCH IT!"

Sora then saw something wrapped fly at him! Luckily, Sora caught the wrapped item. As he did, he saw the ones who tossed it to him…

"Biggs, Wedge, what are you guys doing here?"

Biggs explained, "Well, we remembered your Avenger was destroyed by that tanned guy with the scar on his forehead, so Wedge here brought it to a Synthesist, who fixed the Avenger up as good as new!" Sora was shocked to hear Biggs, "W-wait, you guys saw that?!" Wedge nodded, "Yeah, you sucked pretty badly. But we were amazed at how you still managed to fight him off!"

Sora then wondered, "…you were there…so were you the same ones who shot Scar's arm?"

Biggs shook his head, as did Wedge, who said, "We're not specialized in guns Sora. We use swords, spears, y'know, sharp stuff." Biggs argued, "Bullets can be sharp to, you know." Wedge argued, "SHUT UP, YOU KNOW WHAT I'M TALKING ABOUT!" The Keybearer stopped the two assassins, "OK guys, quit fighting already, you're acting like a bunch of 6 year olds pulling the arms of a doll." Biggs yelled, "DOLLS?! Dolls are for chicks and kids!" Wedge smirked, "Like you'd know the difference, 'mam'!" Biggs burst in anger and yelled, "THAT DOES IT, YER DEAD, BLONDY!"

Edge smacked the two and said, "If the two of you don't shut it, I'm gonna turn you dumbasses inside-out!" The two stopped fighting and Sora asked, "So none of you used a gun to stop Scar?" Edge, Biggs, and Wedge shook their heads. Sora wondered, _If they didn't pull the trigger, then who did?_

Wedge then asked, "Sora, before you go, could you check out your dagger? We want to see your reaction!" Sora complied and tore off the wrapping paper to see the Avenger, and to his amazement, the blade was longer, with some ruins written on them. Sora smiled and said, "It's almost hard to believe this was the same blade given to me by our teachers. By the way, what's with the ruins?"

Wedge answered, "It was Biggs's idea. The ruins are supposed to spell out a message."

Sora looked at it and read…

_My emotions made me the hero my friends and family know and love._

_May this blade defend my heart and the ones who remind me of true humanity._

_My friends are my power. ~ Biggs 'n' Wedge_

Sora looked at the two assassins and said, "Guys…thank you." Biggs shrugged and said, "Well you were the one who gave us a reason to think for ourselves. Ever since you first came to Y. O. U. T. H., our lives became more exciting. And Riku, who used to be a tool, became the advisor who looked out for his team!" Wedge then said, "We know Riku's not himself anymore, that's why we need you to bring him back to us. Sora, you gave us back our emotions and a reason to live that doesn't involve death. This **Kodachi** is our gift to you for everything you've done for us."

Sora was thankful, so thankful that a tear came from his eye, "You guys…I promise I'm going to bring back Riku!"

Sora then boarded the train, leaving Biggs, Wedge, and Edge watching the train leave the town. Sora opened the window and waved at his friends, who waved back at him. Edge then said to himself, "Please Sora, bring our brother back safely to us."

Sora sat back down on his seat, resting his eyes for a few minutes until…

"HEY SORA, HOW'YA BEEN?!"

Two certain chipmunks popped out of Sora's hair to greet him!

"DAAAAAAAAAH, RATS!"

Sora then reached into his hair and pulled the two chipmunks out! As the two smiled and waved at him, Sora realized who they were, "…Chip and Dale?! What are you guys doing here?" Chip explained, "Well, ever since we brought Donald, Goofy, and Jiminy here, we've been working on the ship with Leon and his buddies. Together we made a few modifications and a few more extra features, but then we realized that we've been working for months while Donald & Goofy were journeying with the one and only Keyblade Master!" Dale then spoke, "So THAT'S when I thought 'Yo Dale, let's take a break and see the newbie!' and so, here we are on your next adventure! Don't worry though; we'll get back to work on the **Airship** once we get our fair share of excitement!"

Surprised by what Dale said, Sora asked, "Look guys, this isn't-_**WAITAMINUTE, AIRSHIP**_?!"

Chip then hit Dale on the noggin with his fist and said, "Way to go, dummy, you spoiled the surprise! It was supposed to be a secret!" Dale then said, "Well darn it Chip, why didn't you tell me that it was a secret?!" Chip answered, "BECAUSE IT WAS A 'SECRET PROJECT', I told you that earlier!" Dale then argued, "DID NOT!" Chip argued back, "DID SO!"

"GUYS, guys, stop yelling, people are starting to stare!" Sora warned as the passengers were whispering and peeking at Sora, wondering what was happening.

As Chip and Dale stopped fighting, Sora asked, "So guys, what's an Airship?" Dale explained, "Well, it's basically the ship we used to bring Donald and Goofy here, except with a few aerial features, you'll love it!" Chip then said, "It's going to take some time finishing, but for now, we're just taking a break, since it'll be done by the end of this month." Sora congratulated the two by saying, "Nice work guys, I can't wait to see it! You should tell Donald and Goofy when we get to Central, I'm sure they'll be very excited!"

Dale agreed, "Hey yeah, I'm sure they'd be just as psyched as Sora here!" Chip agreed, "Well why wouldn't they? It's a new way of travel, but with the gift of flight!" As the chipmunks celebrated, Sora rested his eyes…

And after 4 days, the young assassin was back in Amestris. And as he rode the train to Rissembool, the Elrics and Alex Louis Armstrong already reached their destination.

"It's beautiful here, so peaceful." Armstrong complemented. Ed chuckled and said, "Yeah, its rule, a nice way of saying there's nothing going on." Al remembered, "…It's been 4 years. I wonder how Winry and her grandmother are doing." Ed asked, "4 years, so it's been that long huh? Well, knowing our favorite mechanics, they're probably doing just fine." Armstrong then asked, "So…you haven't been home since you left?" Ed answered, "You can't really come home to a place where there's no family waiting for you. You know our general situation, don't you major?" Armstrong nodded, "Yes, I do."

Meanwhile, at a large house, and old woman stepped out to smoke a large pipe. In front of her house was a sign that said, 'Rockbell Automail', showing anyone who passed by where to find Automail. The old woman looked around to find something…or someone…

(BARK, BARK)

The old woman's dog (who had an Automail leg) noticed someone coming and started to bark. The woman smiled as she noticed the three travelers approaching the house. The old woman recognized the short one as Edward Elric and said, "Well, this is a pleasant surprise." The woman then called out to someone in the house, "Winry, come on out! We've got some old friends coming!"

Inside the house, a young blonde teenage girl just finished fixing a mechanical arm. When she heard her elder calling to her, she smiled, "…Please, let it be those two."

Back outside, the Elrics and Armstrong finally arrived to the Rockbell Automail house, where Ed was greeted by the dog with the Automail arm. As the dog circled Edward joyfully, Ed said to him, "Good to see you to, Den!" The dog barked at him in response.

Then the old woman approached the group with a smile on her face and said, "So, _Mr. Fullmetal's_ come back home, eh? Good timing Edward, we haven't seen you in ages, we were starting to wonder if you've forgotten us." Ed looked at the woman and chuckled, "Well if it isn't 'Old-Lady' Pinako. You think I'd forget you and Winry? You two are the best Automail engineers I've known." Pinako recalled, "We were the ONLY ones you knew, and for a good reason, because we gave you that arm to use and that leg to stand on. Speaking of arms, it would seem you're down one. I assume this was the problem you were calling me about?" Ed laughed in response to his mechanic's question, "Heh, you caught me, I need a new arm." Pinako then said, "Hmph, apparently so."

Pinako then noticed Ed's height…

"Wow, I thought you'd at least be a few inches taller, but it seems like you've gotten smaller."

Ed snapped again and roared, "_**HEY, WHO YA CALLING SMALL, YA MINIATURE-SIZED HAG?!**_"

"Still shorter than your temper I see."

"_**OH YEAH?! WELL YOU'RE SO SHORT, YOU'RE TWO DEMENTIONAL!**_"

"Dwarf."

"_**WITCH!**_"

"Twip."

"_**OLD BAT!**_"

"That reminds me Ed, can you stick around the front yard? I'm in need of a 'Garden Gnome'."

"_**NOBODY BRINGS GNOMES INTO A FIGHT AND GETS AWAY WITH IT!**_"

Suddenly, Armstrong took off his shirt and started posing between Ed and Pinako while saying to the Fullmetal, "Edward Elric, how dare you speak to your elders with such disrespect!" Pinako then asked, "Who's this guy?" Armstrong turned around, and offered a friendly handshake, "Alex Louis Armstrong, humbly at your service." Pinako smiled and shook the Strong-Armed Alchemist's hand, "A pleasure, I'm Pinako Rockbell."

But as the two elders shook hands…

(**BA-**_**TANG**_)

Edward was clobbered by an unknown object!

As Ed was on the ground, Armstrong looked around and said, "We're under attack! Stay back Elrics, I will deal with the gunman!" Ed stood up and said, "It wasn't a bullet that hit me, Major! It was a wrench, owned, and thrown, by a _**LOOSER-MACHINE-JUNKY-PSYCHO,**__** WHO DIDN'T KNOW THAT HER WRENCH WOULD'VE KILLED ME!**__ What the Hell were you thinking __**Winry?!**_"

"I was thinking of _clobbering you some more for not showing up after __**4 freaking years!**_"

Armstrong then noticed a blonde girl on the balcony about Edward's age with a bandanna, a black tube top, and baggy pants. Al also noticed the girl and yelled, "HI WINRY, IT'S GREAT TO SEE YOU AGAIN!" The girl smiled and waved at Al, "(laughing) You to Alphonse! Welcome home!" Ed then pouted, "Why does Al get a smile while I get a tool to the face?!"

Hours later, the Elric Brothers and Armstrong were inside the Rockbell's home, explaining what happened to them…

"So, you're back because you've lost the Automail Arm that I put my heart and soul into? JUST WHAT THE HELL WERE YOU THINKING ED?!" Winry asked. Ed replied, "I was…just caught in an accident, that's all. I tripped and got my arm crushed by a truck, and so here I am." Winry looked at Al and asked, "ALPHONSE (Al: "(gulp) Uh, yes?"), what kind of truck was it?" Al shivered and said, "…ask Ed."

Edward yelled, "But Al, she wants YOU to tell her, not me!" Winry then guessed, "…it wasn't a truck that tore you apart…_**was it?!**_" Ed and Al shivered in fear, so Winry asked, "A truck would've at least left some parts on the road, but the way the two of you look…I'd say someone blew you guys up!" Winry walked towards Al with her wrench in her hand and asked with a fierce tone, "YOU TWO GOT MIXED INTO SOMETHING DANGEROUS, DIDN'T YOU?!" Al shook his head, "N-n-no, of course not Winry, we're careful!"

"**Tell me the truth, BOYS!**" Winry said as she readies her wrench…

The Elrics remained quiet, so Winry shook her head and said, "Fine, don't tell me. After all, I'm only worried about you two, it's not like I wanted to help or anything…" As Winry walked away, Ed looked down and said silently, "I'm sorry Winry…you're better off here…away from us."

"Wow, I was wrong pipsqueak (Ed: "DON'T SAY PIPSQUEEK!"), it seems you HAVE been growing a bit…but you're off balance with this leg. I'll need to make two new Automail enhancements." Ed then asked, "An arm AND a leg, huh? Look Pinako, I know I'm asking allot, but do you think you can have them both finished before the end of the week?" Pinako asked, "On a hurry to leave, are we? And Winry's been looking forward to seeing you two again after 4 years." Ed nodded, "Yeah, I know, and I'm really sorry to, but it's important that we get to Central before the week is over, otherwise someone might beat us to it."

Pinako breathed in from her wooden pipe, and blew out a small cloud of smoke. And then, she smiled and said, "…don't insult me kid, I'll have'em done in 3 days." Ed smiled and said, "You really are the best there is!"

End of Chapter 81

* * *

**Edward and Alphonse enjoy their stay at the Rockbells' while Sora is given a short cut to Rissembool...**

**Please Comment!**


	82. Chapter 82

**Last time, after helping though the night on the Y. O. U. T. H. Orphanage, it was time for Sora to catch the train back to Amestris, and forward to Rissembool. He shook hands with his 'brother' Edge and gave a tearful goodbye to Biggs and Wedge, who remade the Avenger and inscribed a heartwarming message on the blade, thus making their words true to the heart.**

**"My friends are my power."**

**As Sora left Destiny Islands and Aerugo, he was joined by the mechanic genomes, Chip and Dale, who were anxious to go on an adventure with Sora just like Donald and Goofy did. As the train progressed further, the chipmunks revealed that they were working with Leon and his group on a SECRET PROJECT, an Airship, supposedly, a boat that could fly through the sky.**

**Meanwhile, the Elric Brothers and Major Armstrong arrived in the beautiful green valley of Rissembool, where they were greeted by the Rockbells, who were responsible for Ed's Automail. As they were welcomed into their house, Winry, Ed and Al's childhood friend, burst out in shock at her friend's broken and battered appearance and demanded answers as to how they became that way. But the Elrics stayed quiet, leaving a worried Winry confused...**

**Winry's grandmother, Pinako, examined Ed's Automail Leg and announced that since Ed was out of balance with his footing, she'll have to work on both a new arm AND a new leg. When Ed asked if she would be done before the week's end, the old mechanic smiled and said she could finish in 3 days tops.**

**Warning: Kingdom Hearts and Fullmetal Alchemist are both licensed by Square-Enix. The secondary licenses for both franchises are Disney (Kingdom Hearts), Aniplex, Bones Inc., and Funimation (Fullmetal Alchemist). **

**PS: There will be spoilers.**

* * *

Fullmetal Kingdom: The Fanfic

Chapter 82: A Day at the Rockbells

Al sat outside to enjoy the sunshine and the peaceful sounds of birds chirping in the air. Al wondered, "I wonder how Sora's doing. I hope they find him soon, the way he disappeared…it was just so strange." As Al thought to himself, he heard Ed come out of the house, and then he noticed Ed with a cheap looking Automail Leg. Ed explained, "Heh, don't worry, this isn't what Pinako was working on, this is just a spare for me to use until she's finished. But I gotta say, this leg works just as good as the last one. What can I say; the Rockbell blood's got the 'Midas Touch' when it comes to Automail."

Al nodded and said, "Y'know, it feels good to be back. I kinda missed the sunny sky." Ed sat down beside his younger brother and said, "Yeah, it feels good to sit under the sun again. The spring-summer mix always suited Risembool; it makes this place a suitable Heaven." Al then asked, "So brother, did you hear anything about Sora yet?" Ed answered, "Damn it Al, I was just relaxing! What would I know of that spiky-haired dumbass?"

"(_**ACHOO**_) …eh?"

As he sneezed, Sora looked around in the train, wondering what just happened…

Back in Risembool, Ed continued, "…I haven't heard anything yet Al, and I think it's better if I don't. He's got allot to do, looking for his friends from Y. O. U. T. H., saving Rose from Riku-wait…" As Ed stopped, Al asked, "What is it brother?" Ed recalled what Riku said to Sora on Destiny Islands…

"_**I REMEMBER NOW, HE'S GOING TO COME HERE TO FIGHT RIKU**__**!**__**!**_"

Al asked, "He is?!" Ed nodded, so the younger brother said, "Brother, we can't let him go alone. But we can't help him like this either." Ed sighed and said, "Yeah, an arm's all I need, then I can fix you back up and together, we can knock some sense back into that idiot!"

"This other bodyguard sounds like a reckless fool."

The Elrics notice Pinako walking out of her house. She then looks at Ed and asks, "He kind of reminds me of another fool. Young, headstrong, the type who never wants to see kids cry. He's just like you boys, isn't he?" Ed looked away while Al replied, "He was bought to provide us with protection. But unlike his peers, he's still got emotions, even though he was trained to be emotionless. Despite that, he's an honest person…and he was a good friend."

Pinako smiled and said, "He's coming here pretty soon, you know?" Ed looked at her while confused and asked, "Hey hold up, how do you know that, Pinako?" Pinako explained, "Because one of your friends from the military sent someone to pick him up."

Miles away, a train arrived in a station, and Sora came out. He then proceeded to looking for a bench to sleep on until the next train arrives when out of nowhere, a soldier arrived and saluted him, "Welcome to the South City Train Station Sora!" Sora recognized the soldier, "Hey Fuery, I haven't seen you since you gave the puppy to the First Lieutenant!"

"Yeah, that was…that was great." Fuery then thought to himself, _OH, THA__T POOR LITTLE GUY!_

Sora noticed the tears coming from Fuery's eyes and asked, "Uh, are you alright?" Fuery turned back at the assassin and answered, "GREAT, why'd you ask?" Sora shook off the confusion and asked, "Anyway, aren't you supposed to be in East City or Central or…I don't know where you work." Fuery then said, "Yeah, not allot of people care about side characters. So Sora, I'm here to give you a lift to Risembool." Sora then asked, "AWESOME! But how can you do that?"

Minutes later…

"THIS IS AWESOME, HOW DID YOU GET A MOTORCYCLE?!"

Fuery answered, "It was a gift from my parents! They told me only to use it when on a mission that required speed and a quick victory! I'm taking us on a short cut that can get you to Risembool in no time!" Sora nodded, "**THIS THING'S TEARING MY HAIR OFF! **_**YEEEEEEEE**__**-**__**HAAAAAAW!**_" Fuery then asked, "Sora, where'd your helmet go?!" Sora replied, "**THE VELOCITY OF THIS MOTORCYCLE BLEW IT TO HELL! GO FASTER****!"**

"WHAT? You can't really mean-!"

"_**FASTER DAMN-IT, I WANNA LOSE CONCIOUSNESS! HAAAAAA**__**-**__**HA**__**-**__**HA**__**-**__**HAAAAAAAAA!**_"

Back at the Rockbell's House, Pinako came back in and noticed Armstrong still drinking his tea. Armstrong then asked, "So the boys know that Sora is arriving soon?" Pinako nodded, "Yeah, Ed's going to wait for him by the bus stop." Armstrong sighed and said, "No, it's too dangerous!" Pinako asked, "Why's that? Could it be that whoever tore Edward's arm off is still after him?"

Armstrong was silent as Pinako spoke the truth. Armstrong asked, "H-how did you-?" Pinako answered, "Winry's not the only one who can see through the boys. They were trying to hide the fact that someone tried to kill them. They survived, they're here and safe, and that's all I need to know…The other bodyguard, he's the one who protected them, isn't he?" Armstrong nodded, "Even without his blade, the boy stood his ground and protected the Elrics. He's a real talent, that one. (ahem) Anyway, I must hurry, there's no telling when Edward will be caught in another attack!"

Pinako stopped Armstrong and said, "Now you don't need to worry about that pipsqueak, he's gone off with the best 'bodyguard' in Risembool."

*wine*

"No Den, I don't have anything to feed you!"

Ed walked alongside the Rockbell's dog, Den, over to the bus stop, where he expects Sora to arrive…

"He'd better have a good reason for ditching us back in Destiny Islands." Ed said to himself.

"You're worried about him?"

The sudden appearance of a black cloaked figure startled Edward and Den!

Edward then asked, "Who…who are you?!" The cloaked figure replied, "You may call me…the **Nobody**." Ed then said, "OK, the weird name matches the weird appearance." Nobody commented, "I thought it would. Anyway, I thought you gave up on Sora, so why are you still waiting for him?" Ed ignored the question and asked, "Why do you care?" Nobody answered, "Hmm, not willing to answer a stranger's question, eh? You're smarter than you look! Well, I care because he's very important to me." Ed then asked, "Care to tell me why you're so interested in him?"

Den then started sniffing the cloaked figure, who blushed a bit and gently petted the dog, and then, Nobody replied, "He's been like family to me when we were…no, never mind, now's not the time." Ed then wondered, "…you seem familiar…have we met?" Nobody shook its head, "WHAT?! N-no, of course not! I never met you before, _Ed!_"

"…"

Ed broke the awkward silence and explained, "…he always takes his job seriously, never caring whether or not he survives. He was almost killed once for shielding me from something that could've killed me in seconds. I'm waiting for him because I owe him, not just for saving my life, but for every attempt he makes to keep the people around him safe. He's an idiot, but…he's an idiot that I won't allow to forfeit. Someday, I'll snap him out of this belief of 'self-sacrifice' and make him see that he also has a right to live!" Nobody was astounded by Edward's passionate words, so the cloaked figure said to him, "I can't believe I'm saying this…but you're pretty cool. I saw you as another Shou Tucker, and I was wrong to do so. Thank you for keeping him safe."

As Nobody bowed in respect, Ed then noticed a small lock of dark-red hair come down…

Nobody then walked away, but before the cloaked figure could leave, Ed said, "_**HEY KAIRI!**_" The cloaked figure shook for a second, and then Ed continued, "I don't know how you came back to life, but right now, I don't care! Someday I may want some answers, but until you can look Sora in the eyes again, I'll keep him safe for you!"

The cloaked figure turned around, showing Edward her blue eyes, and nodded in response, "I'm counting on you Fullmetal!" Ed smiled and waved goodbye, and Kairi did the same and waved as she walked away…

Ed sat back down and waited for hours and hours until the sun was setting behind the mountains. The Fullmetal Alchemist began to get sleepy, so he said to himself, "He's late…I guess I'll probably see him tomorrow."

"looooooooo_oooooooook-OOOOOOOOOOO__**OUUUUUUUUUUT!**_"

Ed and Den jumped out of the way when he saw Fuery speeding towards him!

(CRASH)

Ed ran up to the wreckage of the motorcycle and saw Fuery and Sora lying on the ground!

Ed took the helmet off Fuery's head and asked, "Hey, come on kid, wake up!" Fuery opened his eyes and said, "I-I'm not a kid…I'm…18 years old."

"_**WHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAT?!**_"

"Ed, snap out of it! I brought your bodyguard!" Fuery said as Ed freaked out.

Ed then noticed Sora's head was stuck in a dirt hole, so he pulled him out to find…

A BALD HEAD WITH TWO CHIPMUNKS ON TOP!

"Uh…howdy, we're foreigners!" Dale said while waving. Chip then bonked Dale's head and said, "You might want to check on your friend first."

"S-SORA, IS THAT YOU?!" Ed asked. Sora turned around and replied, "Hi Ed, how're things going?" Ed replied, "You should ask yourself that question! SORA, YOU'RE BALD!"

(poink)

Suddenly, a small bit of hair popped from Sora's head!

(poink)…(poink, poink, p-p-p-p-p-p-p-p-p-p-p-p-p-p-p-p-p-p-p-p-)

Ed, Den, and Fuery just kept watching in amazement at the hair on Sora's head reappear, while Sora himself wondered what the two soldiers were looking at…

Back at the Rockbell's Home, Pinako had just started serving out dinner on the table. Winry and Armstrong sat down and chowed down. Before he did though, Armstrong looked out the window, hoping to see Edward return. Then, Pinako asked, "Mr. Armstrong was it? You've probably served in the military long enough to see those boys in their work. Not that it's any of my concern, but I'd like to know how they were doing?"

Armstrong knew that Winry was watching him with eager eyes, eyes that want the truth about her childhood friends, so he confessed, "…well Mrs. Rockbell, I haven't been with them during missions but I do have my sources. The Elrics have been through their fair share of trouble from time to time, but it's alright, you can take my word for it, those boys are strong."

"**Please…help him! He's going to bleed to death if we don't do something!"**

"**A-ALPHONSE, is that you?!"**

"**I want you to give me Automail limbs to replace the ones I lost."**

"**So you're taking that man's offer to join the military?"**

**(slowly nods)**

"**As long as I find out what I need to to change my brother back."**

"_**AAAAAAAAAGH!"**_

"**Just bear with it Ed, this is a delicate procedure!"**

"_**AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAGH!"**_

"…**this pain…is nothing compared to what Alphonse gave up!"**

Pinako smiled and wondered, "…strong…really? Alright then, I'll take your word for it." Armstrong nods and prepares to eat his vegetables when suddenly; a knock was heard at the front door.

(KNOCK, KNOCK)

"Hey, he's here!" Edward said out loud. Winry opened the door and said, "It took you long enough!" Sora looked at the blonde girl and asked, "Ed is SHE your mechanic?" Ed nodded, "Yup, Sora Hughes, meet Winry Rockbell." The two looked each other in the eye and looked at Ed with a disgusted look…

"YOU'RE KIDDING, RIGHT?" They both asked.

Sora then said, "Isn't she a bit young to be a mechanic? She's close to being your age for crying out loud!" Winry then smirked, "HA, that's funny coming from a 14 year old kid playing the role of a bodyguard!" Sora argued, "For your information, I'm 15 years old!" Ed then said, "Y'know, she's 15 years old to." Sora was shocked of course, "W-WHAT?! But she looks so…"

"What can I say, beauty is a curse (Sora: "Who's beautiful?"). Now are you coming in or NOT, Mr. Bodyguard?!" Winry asked, Sora replied, "Gladly, blondy!" As Sora walked in, he asked, "Is she REALLY your mechanic?!" Ed nodded, "Yup, well, one of'em at least."

"So, you're the bodyguard? I knew it had to be someone sent by the military to keep the boys safe, but who would've guessed it was the same boy I saw in Aerugo _with his spine nearly torn out?_"

Sora recognized the voice and noticed Pinako standing before him.

Sora was shocked to see Pinako, which made the Fullmetal Alchemist ask, "Pinako…you met this guy before?" Pinako nodded and said, "Number 516, right? Or have you accepted the name I gave you?" Sora smiled as tears came down from his eyes, "It's you…you're really here." Pinako nodded and held Sora's hand, "I'm glad you can still walk kiddo, I guess that Automail worked like a charm after all."

Edward, Winry, and Alphonse were surprised to hear what Pinako said, "_**A-AUTOMAIL?!**_"

Alphonse then asked, "Sora, you never told us you had Automail on you!" Pinako then explained, "I guess it's because the memory was too painful to bring back. Am I right?" Sora nodded, "…she's better now by the way, Tina, she and I promised to never kill again-." Edward then asked, "Pinako, YOU were one of the doctors that saved his life?!" Pinako replied, "I was the one who fixed his back after that strange girl tore it in half. Yes sir, you kids are looking at the only survivor of an Automail Spinal Replacement."

Sora turned to Ed and Winry and grinned, "…so, what smells good?"

End of Chapter 82

* * *

**Next Chapter, the heroes spend their days in Risembool waiting while experiencing some trauma and relief...**

**Please Comment!**


	83. Chapter 83

**Last time, Sora was traveling by train to Risembool, until help came in the form of Kain Fuery, who was ordered by Mustang to give the boy a faster mode of transportation, his motorcycle.**

**Meanwhile, the Elric Brothers were enjoying the peace and quiet of Risembool until Ed remembered Riku challenging Sora to fight in Risembool. The Fullmetal then decided to walk to the bus stop with Den, Winry's dog, and wait for his 'dumbass' bodyguard. As he waited, he met with a hooded figure, who also wanted to meet with Sora, but Ed assured her that he'll keep an eye out for her. But Ed was quick to realize who was under the hood, it was none other than the gunslinger girl, Kairi, who was shot down by cannon-fire earlier in Destiny Islands! However, Ed wasn't in the mood to ask questions about her survival, so he lets her go, knowing that Sora would be safe...**

**Speaking of which, the Keybearer made it to Risembool and was greeted by the Fullmetal. The two then headed back to Risembool, where Sora and Winry met and instantly disliked the company of one another. But before the two could bicker more, Pinako stepped in and revealed that she and Sora knew one another in the past.**

**And shockingly, Pinako revealed Sora having Automail inside his back, and that he was the only survivor of the Automail Spinal Replacement Procedure...**

**Warning: Kingdom Hearts and Fullmetal Alchemist are both licensed by Square-Enix. The secondary licenses for both franchises are Disney (Kingdom Hearts), Aniplex, Bones Inc., and Funimation (Fullmetal Alchemist). **

**PS: There will be spoilers.**

* * *

Fullmetal Kingdom: The Fanfic

Chapter 83: Tears of the Children

Inside the Rockbell' Home, Sora and Edward joined Armstrong, Winry, and Pinako at the dinner table. As they ate, Edward thought about what Pinako said…

**I was the one who fixed his back after that strange girl tore it in half.**

**Yes sir, you kids are looking at the only survivor of an Automail Spinal Replacement.**

Edward then looked at Sora with eager eyes, wondering how the rookie assassin could've survived a surgery that would've taken his life. Sora noticed Ed staring at him and asked, "…Did you want the pasta?" Ed shook his head, letting his bodyguard enjoy his dinner.

Sora then turned to Armstrong and asked, "So, you're a State Alchemist like Ed?" Armstrong nodded and said, "Why yes young man, I'm Alex Louis Armstrong, _**the Strong-Armed Alchemist**_, I currently have the rank of major in the military!" Sora then looked at Ed and asked, "So how was he?" Ed explained, "Other than the pink stars, spacing out, and the weird habit of tearing his shirt off, he was alright." Sora then noticed pink stars circling Armstrong's head as he enjoyed his spaghetti, "…alright then."

"I CAN'T TAKE IT ANYMORE!"

Everyone became startled as Winry screamed and stood up from her seat!

Winry then said, "I've seen Automail replace arms, legs, even torsos! But I've NEVER seen an Automail spine! Is it gross-looking? Is it sticking out somewhere?! I GOTTA KNOW!" Sora then asked Ed, "Does she have an Automail fetish or something?" Ed replied, "Yes."

"SHUT UP ED!" Winry said while pointing at the Fullmetal.

Pinako had just finished her dish, so she asked, "Remember kids, when you're done, wash your dishes at the sink and place them on the counter." Sora, Edward, Winry, and Armstrong nodded, "YES MAM."

After Pinako took her plate into the kitchen, Winry looked at Sora and said, "Look Sora, I know we don't know each other well, but please, you've gotta let me see your back!" Sora yelled, "NO, this is personal, alright? I can't let ANYONE see my scars, it's embarrassing!" Al then asked, "Well why did you show me and brother the scar on your upper chest?" Sora answered, "You wanted to know how I knew Marcoh, remember? I told you about Tina and I revealed the scar she left! There was nothing embarrassing about confessing secrets to your friends!"

Winry then asked, "Wait, 'friends'? I thought you were just looking after them because it was your job." Sora explained, "At first I was, but I started getting to know them after that mission in Lior. I learned about their attempt at Human Transmutation and how Ed placed Al's soul into a suit of armor. I even learned about Ed's Automail and his quest to find the Philosopher Stone. But the last thing I expected to learn was that his mechanic was his girlfriend!"

"G-GIRLFRIEND?!" Ed and Winry were shocked when they heard Sora's words.

Ed then said, "You're screwed up, dude! I don't feel that way about her, she's my best friend!" Winry blushed and said, "Y-yeah, h-he's just too short for me, that's all!"

"_**WHO-ZA-SECOND-SHORTER-THAN-A-GRAIN-OF-RICE-SHORTY?!"**_

"Done." Armstrong proudly says as he takes his shirt off and walks happily to the kitchen.

Sora then said, "WEIRD…Anyway, of course we're friends. Ed saved me a couple times, and I'm grateful for that." Winry was a bit confused, so she asked, "Wait, I thought bodyguards were supposed to 'guard' the 'body' of the assigned person. What the Hell were you doing?" Ed explained, "He was still keeping me safe, Winry. It's just that sometimes, he sucks at keeping himself safe."

Winry looked at Sora and asked, "You'd endanger yourself to protect Ed?" Sora nodded, "Him AND Al. I try to help anyone I can." Winry then said, "…you can't do that Sora." Sora was a bit disturbed by Winry's change of expression, so he asked, "Why not?" Winry explained, "Because the world isn't so simple that you can just catch bullets for someone in danger. You aren't invincible, and you can't always be there for them." Sora argued, "…well I can try, can't I?"

Winry then asked, "Well what about your family, don't you think they'd rather see you alive rather than dead?" Sora replied, "I'm adopted Winry." Alphonse then said, "Hang on Sora, your new family treats you like one of their own!" Sora looked at Al and said, "The Hughes'? Yeah, they're nice people, but-." Winry then asked, "But what, bodyguard?! Don't you care for them?" Sora nodded, "Of course I do, it's just-." Winry laughed, "Oh I get it, you care enough to leave without saying goodbye!" Sora stood from his seat and asked, "They knew the risks when they brought me in!" Winry yelled, "HA, sounds more like they wanted you to grow up and become a normal person than some psycho killer!" Sora argued, "I'M NOT A KILLER WINRY!" Winry yelled back, "KILLING SOMEONE IS THE SAME AS ABANDONING A FAMILY THAT LOVES YOU! BUT I GUESS I'LL NEVER UNDERSTAND THAT FEELING, RIGHT '_HERO_'?! I'D HAVE TO SPIT ON MY BELEIFS AND WALK AWAY LIKE YOU DID TO THOSE PEOPLE-!"

"_**I'D RATHER DIE THAN BETRAY THEIR LOVE!**_" Sora yelled as he pounded his fists on the table!

The Keyblade Master sat back down while the mechanic said to him, "Don't you want to live long enough to see them every single day whenever you wanted for the rest of your life?" Sora replied, "…I don't know. I'm one of Y. O. U. T. H.'s assassins; we're not the types that stay forever. And besides, if I get involved, they'll be in danger-."

Winry walked over to Sora's side and hugged him…

"'They knew the risks', right?"

The Keybearer was silent as Winry spoke the same words he used.

Winry then said, "The way I see it, you're already a part of their lives. In time, I'm sure you'll see it to."

Winry took her plate and left for the kitchen, but before she did, she said, "That goes for you to Edward!"

Sora looked at Ed and asked, "Is she always like that?" Ed and Al nodded in response. Sora smiled and said, "She's not as tech-headed as I thought. She's actually pretty cool. So Ed, why can't you be with her? I know what I said earlier sounded kinda freaky, but she seems very nice." Ed blushed and answered, "Well, she's…she isn't someone I'd want to start a relationship with." Sora then asked, "Why not? Winry was so honest and-!" Alphonse then explained, "If she got too close to us, she could be in danger. I'm sure you noticed by now Sora, we were caught in near-death situations, and if she was involved-."

(SLAM)

Ed pounded his fists on the table to stop Al from continuing.

"I won't let her get involved!"

Ed then took his plate to the kitchen, leaving Sora wondering, "I don't want to involve my family, then I'm being called selfish. But when Ed doesn't want to involve Winry…I don't get it Al." Alphonse explained, "We drive her crazy sometimes, but she's always there for us. But it's not like Ed doesn't want to see her…he just doesn't want her to get hurt. So we live on until we can restore our bodies and see her smile." Sora crossed his arms in satisfaction and looked on as Ed helped Winry with the dishes…

The next day, Ed was lying down on the fields of grass with Al. Ed was beginning to get impatient with the Rockbells' work on his Automail, so he wondered, "Geez, what's taking them so long?! It's already been two days now, and they still haven't told me about the new arm and leg!" Al then reminded his brother, "But Mrs. Rockbell said that for her, it would be about three days." Ed nods, "Yeah I know, BUT THIS WHOLE 'WAITING-AROUND' THING IS KILLING ME!"

"Brother…it's just a suggestion, but to pass the time, why don't you visit mom?"

Ed sighed at Al's suggestion, "…you mean her grave?"

Al nodded, "It has been a while since you've visited her, and now's the best time to catch up on old times." Ed stood up and looked up in the sky, and after a few seconds, he said, "'Old times'…alright, I'll be back in a while, I guess…"

Back at the Rockbells' House, Sora was lying on the roof with his eyes closed, listening to the wind blowing and the birds chirping. As he was resting, he thought, _So I'm already apart of the Hughes Family…and they accepted me because they cared for me? __Funny, I never thought about others caring for me like that. But then again, Edward & Alphonse seemed to enjoy bringing me with them. And then there's Donald & Goofy, I thought they wanted to use me because of my gifts, but now, it's like I'm getting to kn__ow them in a better way. Friends…Family…I am…truly blessed._

"What are you doing here, kid?"

Sora got up and noticed Pinako tapping her foot on the roof while a disappointed look was on her face…

Sora explained, "I-I'm sorry mam, I was just relaxing here, the view and the fresh air-." Pinako interrupted, "Shouldn't you be watching over those two troublemakers?" Sora replied, "Y-yes, but they didn't want me bothering them." Pinako shook her head and said, "Is this REALLY how a bodyguard acts? Honestly kid, how can you be so careless?" Sora answered, "I'm not careless! If the Elrics needed me, they would've called for me or something!"

"Hey spikey, come down here! I got somewhere to go!"

As Edward waited, Sora ran down the stairs to meet with him. But before he did, he looked at Pinako and said, "…I'm not the type that abandons the mission, I know I have to protect them. I'm sorry if my actions earlier made you think about that." Pinako then said, "I never doubted you Sora, I just want my boys to be safe. Winry and I will keep Al safe; meanwhile, you stay by the little guy and keep him away from danger, understand?" Sora saluted her and said, "YES MAM!" Pinako chuckled and said, "DISMISSED!" And with that, Sora rushed down the stairs as Pinako said to herself, "Ah, kids."

Hours later, Alphonse was enjoying the peace and quiet until he noticed someone walking beside a large cow. He felt like something was missing inside, something about the girl…

"Hey Al, what's up with you? You're just staring into space."

Al looked at Winry, who was bringing in more metal pieces for the Automail Arm and Leg and noticed the two chipmunks that came with Sora were helping her out. Al then asked, "Oh hey Winry, and-uh…who are you two? Are you like Donald and Goofy?" Chip responded, "How quick of you to notice metal man! I am Chip, a proud mechanic that assisted with creating the ship that brought our faithful friends to this cruel land of humans! Oh…and this is Dale." Dale then said, "-WHO IS ALSO A MECHANIC, thank you very much!"

Al greeted the two chipmunks pleasantly, "Well it's very nice to meet the two of you. I'm Alphonse Elric, one of Sora, Donald, and Goofy's friends. And I hope we can be friends to someday." Dale looked at Al with a curious look for a few minutes and said to Chip, "…he's OK." Chip nodded and said, "I think we're already fast friends Mr. Alphonse Elric, since you and the short guy over at the distance haven't told anyone about us."

"_**WHO YA CALL'N SMALL?!**_"

"Did you hear something?" Dale asked.

Chip replied, "Probably just some birds, c'mon, let's get back to work!"

As the chipmunks went into the house, Alphonse asked Winry a question, "Uh, Winry, who's that girl?" Winry looked at the girl and answered, "Why that's Millie, come on, you know her. She used to spend time with us when we were kids. Hide 'n' Seek and Tag, the games we used to play." Al nodded, "Oh, yeah…"

Winry looked at her friend and asked, "…is something wrong Al?" Alphonse answered, "N-no, I just…couldn't remember who she was, that's all. My mind was like a total blank." Winry smiled and said, "Well you ARE getting older Alphonse, you probably just forgot. Most childhood memories fade away after a bit, but at times, we can remember them." Al then said, "Really? Well, that's good to hear." Winry felt a bit saddened by Al's lack of memories, and wondered, _Al, if only I could help you…_

Hours later, Edward & Sora were walking towards a graveyard…

The two entered, and Sora followed Ed to a grave located near a beautiful tree. Ed looked at the grave and silently said, "…hi mom." Sora came beside Ed and read the tombstone…

**Trisha Elric**

**1878 ~ 1903**

The Keyblade Master looked at the Fullmetal Alchemist and said, "She probably wants to talk with you alone. I'll just-." Ed then said, "That's OK, she doesn't have much to say anyway." Sora then asked, "Edward…did you really try to bring her back?" Ed nodded, "…she was always scolding us…always smiling…as if she knew we were going to be alright. She loved us and always stood by us…"

Ed's eyes started to fill up with tears…but then his hands became fists…

"_**SHE NEVER ABANDONED HER SONS, NOT LIKE HIM, NOT LIKE THAT-**_(wimper)_**!**_"

Edward kneeled before the grave with painful memories in his mind. All Sora could do is watch Edward suffer through the loss of his mother and the pain his unforeseen results in Alchemy had cursed him and Al with.

"…Ms. Elric, my name is Sora. I was bought by the military to be the Elric Brothers' bodyguard."

Ed looked at Sora as he continued speaking to the grave…

"Ever since I first met your sons, I had my doubts, but they became the best friends I've ever had. They protected me just as I tried protecting them. You've given them so much hope and happiness, so I vow to you…that I will keep their days as bright as you did. I WILL LIVE FOR MY FRIENDS AND FAMILY FROM NOW ON, AND WHEN THEIR POWER SEEMS LOST, I WILL OFFER MY OWN!"

Sora's vow touched Edward's heart, so he wiped the tears from his eyes and said, "Your own power, huh? I guess that means I can't get rid of you." Sora smiled at Ed and nodded, "Yep, looks like you're stuck with me until you and Al get your bodies back." Ed then said, "…I think we've bugged mom long enough, let's go back." Sora nodded and followed his friend back to the Rockbell House…

End of Chapter 83

* * *

**Next Chapter, Sora is confronted by Riku, and the Elrics are ready for a comeback...**

**Please Comment!**


	84. Chapter 84

**Last time, Sora joined the Elric, Rockbells, and Armstrong for dinner, but Ed's mechanic, Winry, made things uncomfortable when she demanded to see Sora's Automail Spine. But after learning about Sora's duty as Edward's bodyguard and his reckless disregard for his own safety, Winry pitied him, and told him to live for the friends and family he still has, not to blindly sacrifice himself.**

**On the next day, Edward asked Sora to come with him to his mother's grave while Alphonse was enjoying the peace & quiet. But Al started to wonder why he couldn't remember some people, like he was just now getting to know them...**

**At the graveyard, Ed introduced Sora to his mother, Trisha Elric, who passed away when the Elrics were small children. Kneeling before the grave, Sora spoke to Trisha and made a promise, to live for his friends and family, including the Elric Brothers. Edward felt better about his bodyguard's cheerful spirit, and took him back to the Rockbell's Home...**

**Warning: Kingdom Hearts and Fullmetal Alchemist are both licensed by Square-Enix. The secondary licenses for both franchises are Disney (Kingdom Hearts), Aniplex, Bones Inc., and Funimation (Fullmetal Alchemist). **

**PS: There will be spoilers.**

* * *

Fullmetal Kingdom: The Fanfic

Chapter 84: Back in Action

Evening befell Risembool, and Alphonse Elric was sitting on his bed while staring into the sky. Shortly after, Edward entered the guest room. Ed asked, "Hey Al, I got some good news. The Rockbells are finished with the Automail, so when they attach it, I'll be able to restore your arm and legs. You'll be walking again in no time."

"…Brother, do I have friends?"

Al's question surprised Edward, so Al explained, "I don't remember anything about them…I tried to…" Ed then said, "Well of course you had friends Al. And if you can't remember them, then it's probably because they were old memories. Memories like that fade away after a few years." Al looked away, and said, "…there's something wrong with me brother.

Ed sighed and said, "…listen Al, there's this thing…it's something I've wanted to tell you for some time. I guess I was too scared to say anything, but now…" Al looked at his brother, eagerly waiting to hear what his older brother had to say…

"S-sorry, it's nothing. Forget about it."

Alphonse stared down in misery, while Edward said, "Go to sleep Al, tomorrow, we'll be ready for the repairs…and Riku." Al nodded, "…Alright brother, goodnight-."

(KA-THUMP)

The Elrics were startled by the noise from the roof, so Ed said, "I'll go check it out. Sora's probably rolling around up there. This guy and his obsession with sleeping on roofs, I'LL NEVER GET HIM!" As Ed left the room, Al looked through the window, and noticed the evening sky filled with beautiful stars!

"I think…I can understand why."

Hours ago, Sora was staring into the stars while lying on the roof…

"There's so many, it's like the stars back at the Orphanage." Sora said to himself.

"Good, you remember those nights, and I thought you forgot about Y. O. U. T. H. by now."

Sora jumped back and saw Riku standing on the roof with him! Sora pulled out the Avenger and prepared for whatever Riku had up his sleeves. However, Riku didn't attack, instead, he said, "So, here you are in Risembool! It's about time; I've been waiting for you."

Back inside the house, Pinako said to her granddaughter, "Winry, get that kid off the roof, he'll freeze to death." Winry nodded and headed straight into the attic. As Winry entered the attic, she pouted, "Darn it, why doesn't Ed take care of his bodyguard?" as she brought down the ladder leading to the roof, she heard someone…

"We've always been rivals, haven't we?"

Winry stopped and wondered, "Wh-who was THAT?!"

"Winry, what're you doing here?"

Winry covered her mouth before screaming, and then she saw Ed, who was waiting for an answer to his question. Winry answered, "SHHH, keep quiet! Somebody's up there with Sora! Whoever it is sounds…kinda hot." Ed looked at the mechanic with an annoyed expression, so he said to her, "Wait here, I'll check up on him."

Back outside, Riku continued speaking, "Yes, we kept pushing each other to our limits. You pushed me…as I've always pushed you. You, who refused to kill, it's almost insulting to remember the promise you made to that freak." Sora yelled, "DON'T YOU **DARE** TALK ABOUT TINA THAT WAY!" Riku then wondered, "Why not? She's the reason you've become a coward. Her fangs dug into you and drained the willing spirit out of you. And here you are now…weak and unable to save an Ishbalin girl!"

"YOU SON OF A-!" Sora rushed towards Riku to attack him, but was stopped by his former ally's blade, which sliced through his shoulder! As Sora collapsed, Riku caught him and pushed him away. "For what you did to Namine, you deserve a slow, painful, and humiliating death, but for now, I'm only here to settle something…"

"…there can't be two Keyblade Masters."

Sora was shocked by what Riku said, but before he could ask what Riku meant, his adversary stretched out his hand and yelled, "_Let the Keyblade choose…__**IT'S TRUE MASTER**__!_"

As Riku reached out, the Keychain on Sora's Keyblade started pulling towards him! Sora wondered, "WHAT…WHAT'S HAPPENING?!" Riku answered, "Your precious weapon is rejecting you, THAT'S what! You see, only the Keyblade Master has the power to open the Gate…and change the world. So what does this tell you Sora? WHO IS THE KEYCHAIN PULLING TOWARDS?!"

(SNAP)

The Keychain snapped off the hook…and flew into Riku's grasp!

Sora watched as the Avenger changed back into a regular dagger. As it did, Riku laughed, "Where's your cocky attitude now? Your blade is restored to its original form, and without it, you can't hope to defend the Elrics without taking a life! And better yet, your Avenger can't injure the Golems without the element of Light to support it!" Sora then asked, "How is this possible?! The hooded guy was the one who entrusted me with the Keychain, so why would it-?!"

Riku answered, "This 'hooded guy' probably had no idea who the REAL master was, so he gave the Keychain to you, thinking that your dumb luck and simple heroics could unlock its full power! But the truth was more painful, wasn't it Sora? In the end…you were just the delivery boy." Riku then hooked the Keychain onto his sword, and to Sora's shock, the sword changed into a nightmarish version of his weapon. The blade turned black while the handle changed red. The teeth of the Keyblade shaped into something similar to a heart shape. As Riku's blade was finished changing, he said to his former comrade, "Sorry Sora, but your parts over."

"THEN IT'S MY TIME TO SHINE!"

Before Riku saw who spoke, a left hook forced him off the roof! Ed ran to the edge, checking to see where Riku was. But to his disappointment, the assassin was nowhere to be seen…

Sora looked up and saw Edward, who offered Sora a hand. Sora grabbed Ed's hand and was pulled back up. Ed then said, "So…the reason your 'Avenger' looked different was because of a piece of jewelry?" Sora explained, "…it happened when we were in Lior-." Ed stopped him and said, "The little guy with the big round ears, yeah, I remember him. He saved you from Cornello then gave you that…Key-thing." Sora nodded, making Edward confess, "Y'know, I was actually jealous. You had a weapon that couldn't cause death…but being too reliant on something like that can really mess you up."

Sora asked, "What do you mean?" Ed explained, "There are other ways to fight…ways that don't always require a sword. That dagger's only good for defense now, but you can still fight with your fists." Sora shook his head and said, "No Ed, I can't. Y. O. U. T. H. Assassins are ruthless; they will tear their target to pieces, and with the Keyblade in his hands, who knows what Riku can do?"

"…you seem to understand Riku pretty well. Did he teach you to fight?" Ed asked. Sora replied, "Yes, ever since I was given the Avenger, Riku's been giving me pointers on defense…and assault." Winry pops out of the rooftop doorway and said, "So that means he can predict your movements. But what if you did something unexpected?" Sora and Edward looked at Winry with confused looks, so Winry explained, "(ahem) the best way to defeat an enemy is to do something new, something he HASN'T seen yet, something like…"

Suddenly, Winry's face lightened up!

"Edward, YOU AND AL should teach him how to fight!"

Sora looked at Ed with a shocked expression and said, "…your girlfriend has the weirdest ideas!"

"SHE'S NOT MY GIRLFRIEND!"

"I'M NOT HIS GIRLFRIEND!"

The next morning, Pinako & Winry were attaching the new Automail Arm and Leg onto Ed. As they were, Sora spoke to Alphonse and Armstrong about Riku's recent assault…

"So the boy took your weapon's power source. And without it, your dagger is once again a weapon that kills." Armstrong said as he rubbed his chin. Al then asked, "So what're you going to do?" Sora answered, "I'm going to meet him tonight at the mines." Winry looked at Sora and asked, "Wait, you mean the abandoned mines over at the mountains?!" Sora nodded, "Yep, the same mines. What about 'em?" Pinako explained, "Before the Elric's father came around, another alchemist lived in Risembool. This one however, did NOT respect the rules of alchemy. The alchemist used the mines as a hideaway to perform horrific experiments. Some say he even found a 'gateway to another world' through his own lunacy. Strangely, this old coot was never heard from again after announcing his next experiment…"

Sora then asked, "What was it?" Pinako shook her head, "N-nothing, all you need to know is that it's fishy for that Riku boy to suggest a place like that."

Chip then hopped on Ed's right shoulder and reported, "The cables on his right shoulder have been connected Winry SIR!" Dale then ran from Ed's Automail Leg and said to Pinako, "Same goes for the leg, mam!" Ed then said to Winry, "Alright, let 'er rip, 'Machine Junkie'!" Winry frowned, "Fine ya Alchemy Freak!" Sora then asked, "OK, did I miss something?" Al replied, "Naw, don't worry about them, they fight like this all the time. It's a clear sign of how they love each other."

"SHUT UP AL!"

As Al stopped talking, Pinako said to Winry, "Alright Winry, remember what I said, twist the triggers to connect the Automail." Winry nodded, "Got it granny."

"Alright, on 3. …1."

"…2…"

"3!"

(SNAP)

As the Rockbells pulled the triggers, Edward's Automail successfully connected to his nerves, enabling him to control them. However, the shock from the connection brought Edward great pain! So Sora and Armsrtong helped him over to the couch to rest…

After a few hours, Ed woke up and saw Winry looking at his Pocket Watch…

"Winry, give that back-."

"NO WAY, I WANNA SEE! Ah, the workmanship, the detail, this truly is a masterpiece beyond it's time! Huh? Wait a minute, why is it sealed shut?" Winry asked as she embraced the watch. Ed answered, "It's private, so give it back." Winry pulled it away and begged, "Oh Ed, you gotta let me see the rest of it! Let me open it, pretty please?!" Ed snatched the pocket watch back and said, "ARE YOU NAKED IN THE HEAD?! I know you, Winry! You'll simply take it apart piece by piece down to the last screw!"

Winry continued begging, "So what if I do? I can simply put it back together! You know I'm gifted at that kind of machinery, RIGHT?" Ed looked away, "No way, go find someone else's watch."

As Ed said that, Armstrong left the room…

Winry angrily pouted, "WOW, you guys're stingy, aren't you?!"

Ed then asked, "So where's Al?" Winry replied, "He's waiting outside with Sora and Armstrong." Ed looked at his new Automail Arm and said, "Awesome, thanks Winry. I'll be taking this arm out for a test drive." Winry grabbed Ed's shoulder and said, "Careful 'Fullmockery' Alchemist, the lighter weight on that arm should make you faster, but that means it's easier to break to. So don't be reckless." Ed nodded and headed outside…

Back outside, Sora was sitting next to Al, who asked, "So Riku wants to fight you in those mines, huh?" Sora nodded, "Yep, and if I beat him, he'll tell me exactly where Rose is…" Al then said, "Can you trust him?" Sora answered, "…I've always trusted him. Even when his character changed, I trusted him. It's stupid, isn't it, to have this much faith in someone who used to be a friend?" Al explained, "Well you DID grow up with him, friendship like that is hard to put out of your memories. But whether he still feels the same way or not is no longer the issue, Rose's life is at stake, and you need to bring out as much as you can if you want to save her."

"I couldn't have said it better myself!" Ed said as he walked over to the duo. Al then asked, "So, how do you feel?" Ed answered, "100% great, THAT'S how I feel! So now, that means we can take care of you."

Minutes later, Sora brought out a bag filled with metal scraps. Ed asked, "Is that the one?" Sora nodded, "You got it, it's the metal pieces of Al's arm and legs." Sora then poured out all the scraps around Al. And as he emptied the bag, Ed clapped his hands together and said, "Alright, here it goes!"

Ed then touched Al's chest-plate, and as Sora watched, the transmutation brought out a bright light that wrapped itself around Al's missing arm and legs! As Sora watched on, the light started to form the arm and legs, then, after a blinding burst of light…

Alphonse's metal body was restored!

Al gripped his hands, feeling joyful at his brother's succession. Al then said, "Thanks brother, I feel great!" Ed smiled and said, "Glad to hear it, Al! So, care to test out our new gear?" Al nodded, and followed Ed back to the Rockbells' House. As Sora wondered what they were doing, Ed yelled, "HEY, YOU WANNA LEARN HOW TO FIGHT OR NOT?!" Sora sighed and followed his friends…

End of Chapter 84

* * *

**Next Chapter, the moment you've all been waiting for...the Fullmetal Alchemist VS the Keyblade Master!**


	85. Chapter 85

**Last time, Alphonse had a chance to talk to his brother about his memories. But suddenly, before Edward could say anything, Riku attacked Sora on the roof! The former friend taunted and toyed with Sora's emotions, but his reason for coming was not just to mock an old friend, it was to take the Keyblade! He revealed himself as the true Keyblade Master and pulled the magic keychain from Sora's blade, changing it back into it's regular form. Edward stepped in to help, but Riku was already gone. Edward then learned about the bodyguard's Avenger changing into the Keyblade in Lior, then he learned about how Riku taught Sora everything about swordsmanship. Knowing he'd be easy prey for Riku, Winry suggested Sora use a different fighting style, which he could learn from the Elric Bros.!  
**

**On the morning, Edward's new Automail Arm and Leg were finished, and the Fullmetal Alchemist had them attached. With the new limbs, Edward was now able to perform alchemy and restore Alphonse's metal body. As the Elric Bros. stood with their missing parts restored, they went back to the Rockbell's to teach Sora how to fight...**

**Warning: Kingdom Hearts and Fullmetal Alchemist are both licensed by Square-Enix. The secondary licenses for both franchises are Disney (Kingdom Hearts), Aniplex, Bones Inc., and Funimation (Fullmetal Alchemist). **

**PS: There will be spoilers.**

* * *

Fullmetal Kingdom: The Fanfic

Chapter 85: Sora VS Edward

(KA-POW)

After Sora was punched to the ground by Edward's powerful Automail fist, he stood up, covered his cheek-bruise, and asked, "HEY, WHAT WAS THAT FOR?!" Ed then asked, "Aw, what's wrong, Riku didn't teach you that one?" Sora answered, "He didn't teach me to act like a bully and slug somebody randomly!" Ed then cracked his metal knuckles and said, "Well if you don't want another fist, then I suggest you start putting up your dukes, and show me how tough a Y. O. U. T. H. Assassin really is!"

Ed then threw another punch at Sora, but the young bodyguard was quick to dodge! But to his surprise, Ed turned around and knocked Sora down with the back of his left fist! Sora spat the dirt from his mouth and said, "W-what's your problem?!" Ed answered, "What's YOUR problem? I thought people like you were trained to fight, so why haven't you seen a sneak attack like that coming?" Sora wiped his face and said, "We were trained to kill, not fight small fries like you!"

"_**WHO-WAS-THE-SMALL-ORDER-OF-FRENCH-FRIES-THAT-YOU-W ERE-CALLING-SMALL?!"**_

(SMACK)

After Sora slapped the psychotic anger out of Ed, the Fullmetal sighed and said, "You're not a killer, remember? And I've seen you fight dozens of times, so why are you having a hard time with me?" Sora answered, "Because you cheated, THAT'S why!"

"SORA, I'm not a swordsman, I have no weapons, and you have a clear shot, NOW TAKE IT!"

Frustrated, Sora charges at Edward, who simply trips him!

As Sora got back up, Ed explained, "You've been trained to duel with a sword…but you've never been in a fist fight, have you? In a physical brawl, men and women don't simply 'fight fair', they use all the strength and agility their bodies have. You have a good amount of strength and speed, but you've never used your body's full capabilities, so that's why I'm beating the crap out of you, I'm training you so that someday…you _**CAN!**_"

The Fullmetal Alchemist then attempted to kick Sora with his Automail Leg, but the Keybearer caught the foot and tried kicking back! But to his surprise, Ed caught his foot as well!

"EXPECT THE UNEXPECTED!"

Edward then shocked Sora by taking him by the leg he grabbed, and tossing him over head and onto the ground! Sora slowly got back up and watched Ed walk closer to him while saying, "Fight like me Sora, fight with all your strength, and most importantly…FIGHT WITH YOUR HEART!"

Edward threw another punch, and Sora moved his head out of the way! This time however, Sora grabbed Ed's arm and used his elbow to try and deliver a blow to the gut! But Edward's knee came up and surprised him!

(BASH)

Sora staggered to his feet and spat out the blood. After wiping the blood off his lip, Ed crossed his arms and wondered, "Are you even trying? Don't you care what happens to Rose?" Sora replied, "Of course I do-!" Ed interrupted by saying, "THEN REMEMBER HER! Remember the warmth she brought you when you first met her! She was following a false prophet, but she still listened to you, right? She was a friend who trusted you to help her, and you did! You fought for her, and you won! You helped me save Lior and stop Cornello, and when she turned away; the pain her words gave you was sewn into your heart! You NEVER forgave yourself, the battles you fought were proof of that! The Golems in Traverse Town, Tidus, and Mugear from Xenotime, Bald and Isaac in East City, your friends from Y. O. U. T. H., that bastard Grand, and Scar in Destiny Islands, and when you returned to Lior, you tore through all the opposing forces to save her! A FRIEND **THAT** IMPORTANT COULD NEVER BE FORGOTTEN! Didn't she smile at you when you saved her? Weren't you happy to see she forgave you? Because to me, it looks like you've ignored her, and moved onto other things! She's probably not worth ANYTHING to you anymore! YOU NEVER LOVED HER!"

The words Ed spoke snapped Sora's mind, angering him to the point where he could hold nothing back…

"**RAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAGH!"**

As Sora attacked Edward, Alphonse was watching and shaking his head for Edward's harsh words. Ed thought, _Brother, you're only angering him because you want to save her to. That's the only reason you'd go this far to train Sora. I just hope your training doesn't result i__n anything too damaging._

"Alphonse, your body is restored, I'm so happy for you!"

Alphonse turned around and saw Major Alex Louis Armstrong crying tears of joy. Al greeted his second bodyguard, "Oh Major, it's nice to see you." Armstrong nods, but then notices Sora and Edward fighting. The Major then asks, "Is there a reason these two are fighting?" Al explains, "It was Riku." Armstrong remembered the boy's name and asked, "You mean that rouge assassin who destroyed Sora's old Orphanage?" Al nodded, "The same one. He stole an item that gave Sora's dagger the power to refute from taking a life. And now that he no longer has it, Sora must fight Riku without using his blade, and instead, fight with a style that Riku is unfamiliar with."

"So that's why he's fighting Edward, the boy is learning a different form of combat!" Amstrong said as he watched Sora recover quicker from Ed's attacks. Al then said, "It's funny, brother is actually teaching Sora the same style as our teacher taught us. And like teacher, he's less forgiving to his pupil."

"C'MON YA WEAKLING, IS THAT ALL YOU GO-uh?"

Sora took the chance and grabbed Ed by the collar of his shirt…

(KRA-KRACK)

…and butted his head against his!

Amazed at the former Keyblade Master's strength and talent, Armstrong asked, "Did that happen when you two were training?" Al answered, "Well…teacher did teach us the same way Ed is, but she had Sora's cruelty."

Meanwhile, Winry was watching the fight from inside the house, along with Chip 'n' Dale. Dale looked at Winry and Dale, and asked, "Didn't the blonde kid get that Automail?" The two nodded, so Dale asked, "So why is he fighting with Sora? Doesn't he know there's a chance that he could break it?" Chip answered, "Knowing his type, I'd say he forgot a few seconds ago and went onto pummeling Sora, just like a fat monkey would do when the skinny monkey takes his fruit."

"Heh, funny..." Winry said as she turned away and said, "Talk about immaturity, they're still a couple of children!" Suddenly, Winry noticed Ed's Pocket Watch on the small table…

"…I can't believe he just left it here!" Winry said as she picked up the watch. Dale then asked, "Oh, which reminds me Chip, why does this pit-chick dress so openly?" Chip answers, "Probably to get the blonde kid riled up since she wants him so badly-."

"_**SHADDAP**__, I'M HAVING A MOMENT HERE!_" Winry barked.

The mechanic grinned as she ran her fingers through the watch, her desire to open the watch and examine it made her even more eager to pick up her tools. Winry then said, "I just HAVE to see how this thing ticks! The way it shines and is shaped, clearly it's the work of a master!" Chip then asks, "OK babe, that's not your watch, put it down before Eddy-boy comes in. Guys like girls that don't poke around their stuff anyway, so if you want the other blonde to give you a 'smooch'-."

"_CUT THAT OUT 'N' __**SHADDAP!**_" Winry yelled.

WInry starts getting even more excited while saying, "Oooh, I bet it looks even better inside! The gears, the hands, the anxiety's killing me, I GOTTA SEE-wait!"

"…Edwaaaaaaaaaaaaard? _…'whoops'!_ He-he-HEEEEEEEEE."

The young mechanic smiled maliciously as she pulled out some tools to open the watch. Chip then said, "Hey, '**Fanservice**', just put the watch away before you ruin your chances to have kids-!"

"_YOUR GODDESS__ JUST TOLD YA TO __**SHADDAP**__, SO __**SHADDAP**__ BEFORE I MAKE YA __**SHADDAP**__ FOR THE REST OF YOUR LIFE!_"

"O-OK."

"_**GOOD, NOW SHADDAP!**_"

Back outside, Sora had successfully blocked Ed's fist, only for Ed to say, "You have to bring out more Sora! You can't just block me; you have to stop me from reconciling for my failure! You have to stop me from doing THIS!"

(KA-POW)

Edward punched Sora in the face, and then he grabbed him by the arm, and pulled him in for another hit to the face! The Fullmetal kept pulling and punching, like it was a broken record! After a few punches, Alphonse yelled, "THAT'S ENOUGH, BROTHER! HE'S HAD TOO MUCH BLOOD LEAVE HIM, HITTING HIM MORE WILL ONLY DAMAGE HIM FURTHER!"

Ed nods and releases Sora, "You need more practice pal, so after a small break, I'm coming back to continue the training." After the Fullmetal Alchemist walked away, Sora sighed and tried to get up, but his body was in too much pain to move. Al and Armstrong came to Sora as he lay on his back, wondering if his friend was going to have trouble getting back on his feet, Al asked, "Will you be alright?" Sora answered, "I was beaten to the ground by a _**Garden Nome**_ with an arm and leg made of steel. I won't be alright for another day."

"Come now Sora, you can't be THIS tired, not from someone like Edward. Why, your will had so much hidden potential inside you, I didn't believe that you were finished. You were almost catching up with the boy." Armstrong said as he gave Sora an Elixir. Sora drank the drink and felt a bit better, but he said to the Major, "I appreciate it, Major, but I gave Ed my best shot, and after all that work, I still lost…to someone unrelated to Y. O. U. T. H. even! I could lose to ANYONE, what kind of bodyguard am I?!"

Al answered, "A good one, THAT'S what you are. You just need to learn how to move faster than you do already…and if it helps, you could also learn to counter your enemies."

"…counter?" Sora asked.

Al explained, "You know, when your enemy makes a move, and you react quickly." Sora shook his head and said, "That's usually what I do Al, that's basic defense for a Y. O. U. T. H. Assassin." Al then said, "But what if you could do two things at once?" Sora was a bit confused, so Al explained, "OK, so…oh, I know, try and attack me!"

"W-WHAT?!"

Sora truly was surprised by what Al asked of him, so Al explained, "It's alright, this is educational, so try to hit me!" Sora was still unsure of what Al was thinking, but the bodyguard nodded and tried throwing a punch…

And at THAT instance, Al caught the fist. The iron child then said, "The lesson was for you to learn how to counter quickly, and this is how to do it. First the opponent has to make an attempt to hit you, but as he does, don't lose your cool, instead, keep it! When the attack is made, you defend, right?" Sora nodded, so Al said, "Well, while your opponent is wondering how you defended so quickly, that's when you find a weak point on the body…and ATTACK!"

Al's hand suddenly came at Sora's face! But it didn't make any contact with Sora, instead, Al said, "If you were an enemy, you'd be seeing stars by now. This is how a Counter Attack is made Sora, first, wait for the attack, second, _**DEFEND!**_" Al quickly brought down a karate chop, and Sora managed to block it with his elbow! Al then said, "And third…"

Sora nodded…

…and kicked Al into the air!

Armstrong quickly caught Al, and then asked, "Sora, what treachery is this?!" Al then said, "It's OK Major, Sora's just learning a new ability." Armstrong then puts Al back on the ground and watches as Alphonse patted Sora on the shoulder, "That was an excellent attempt Sora; you've just learned to Counter me. Make the attack quicker, and maybe someday, you can beat me in battle."

Sora then said, "You make it seem like Ed's the easy one." Armstrong then said, "Yes, in fact, it almost sounds like you're the better fighter!"

"W-well…he's never managed to beat me. So…you're both kinda right."

Sora and Armstrong's eyes popped open in shock as Al admitted his strength.

Meanwhile, Ed had just finished washing his face with the water from the valve, so he twisted the handle until the water stopped coming out. Ed then took a towel and rubbed his hair and face dry while saying, "(sigh) He's not improving, he's getting weaker! WHAT DO I HAVE TO DO, THROW ALPHONSE AT HIM?! At least that would teach him to run faster-. Huh?"

Ed then noticed Winry standing behind him.

"Winry, what are you doing here?" Edward asked. Chip and Dale ran up to Ed, surprising the Fullmetal. Chip then said, "OK, what did you put in that watch to make this girl cry?!" Dale then said, "Yeah, whatever your stupid watch had in it made the pretty lady's eyes run red with tears!"

"No…no I-…I didn't mean to see." WInry said as she gave Ed his Pocket Watch. Ed too it back and wondered, "W-WHAT THE-…H-HOW DID YOU-?! (sigh) no matter…" Winry whimpered, "The date you burned your house…was the 10th of October. After all that horror, you still want to remember that?!" Ed was silent, and walked away to avoid talking to Winry, but the mechanic grabbed him by the hand and begged, "Please…don't walk away…"

Ed turned around and saw Winry crying. He then thought, _Why Winry, why do you care so much?_

End of Chapter 85

* * *

**Next Chapter, Sora and Edward continue their fight and one of Crimson's generals makes his grand entrance!**

**Please Comment!**


	86. Chapter 86

**Last time, Edward challenged Sora to a fist fight to expand the former Keybearer's knowledge of fighting and catch Riku by surprise on the coming night when Sora battles him. But Edward was merciless in his methods, leaving Sora bruised and battered. And so to help him, Alphonse taught Sora another new method of combat, the ability to counter someone's attack. **

**Meanwhile, Winry was eager to find what was inside of Ed's Military Pocket Watch, but what she found was not what she expected. Inside the Pocket Watch was the written date of when the Elric Brothers burned down their house and left for good. The frustrated mechanic went to confront Edward, hoping to make him see how much she cares for him...**

**Warning: Kingdom Hearts and Fullmetal Alchemist are both licensed by Square-Enix. The secondary licenses for both franchises are Disney (Kingdom Hearts), Aniplex, Bones Inc., and Funimation (Fullmetal Alchemist). **

**PS: There will be spoilers.**

* * *

Fullmetal Kingdom: The Fanfic

Chapter 86: Real Power

Winry wiped away her tears as Ed said to her, "…Y'know, I never allowed anyone to see this message, not even Al. This date, it was the day Al and I burned our home. We never looked back, well, Al never had to, but…I'm one tough survivor, aren't I? Carrying this watch was like carrying onto my guilty motivation, like some sniveling little kid with a magic charm. With no home…no family…(sigh) it's better this way, never having to involve the people around us-."

(SLAP)

Ed was viciously slapped by Winry, who said to him, "_**I GOT INVOLVED THE MINUTE AL BROUGHT YOU IN MY HOUSE, BLEEDING TO DEATH BECAUSE OF YOUR STUPID ALCHEMY! I DIDN'T THINK**__** ABOUT THE HARM, I ALWAYS THOUGH ABOUT THE TWO KIDS I PLAYED WITH WHEN I WAS A CHILD! BUT YOU…YOU NEVER WANTED TO GET CLOSE ENOUGH TO THANK ME! ALWAYS SHUTTING EVERYTHING OUT LIKE I WAS SOME STRANGER!"**_ Ed smirked and said, "Hmph, 'stupid alchemy'…you're right, it was pretty stupid, and yet..."

"You had friends here Ed, friends who could've helped you through her death!" Winry said as Ed placed the watch in his pocket. Ed then said, "Mom was special Winry, her kindness was something me and Al couldn't live without. So we took a chance, we took it, and THIS was the result! We wanted her back, and the laws kicked us down and robbed us! You get involved, and you might end up the same way!"

Winry shook her head and said, "That's all you ever do, you're still trying to block everything out, why can't you understand? I want to see you and Al here, alive and safe, and you see that as nothing! (sniff, sniff) FINE, throw me away, I DON'T CARE ANYMORE!" Winry walked away with water covering her eyes, but she walked right into a tree and fell over! As she tried to get up, Edward came up to her and helped her back on her feet.

"L-leave me alone!" Winry wined. Ed sighed, "Quit crying already, you always make the waterworks Winry, it's so-." Winry pushed Ed away angrily, but after a few seconds, she said, "BECAUSE YOU WON'T! I've cried for you both, Edward! After everything we went through as kids, my parents, then your mom…(sniff)" Edward couldn't say anything, all he could do is walk away.

Back in the front yard, Sora practiced on his speed, trying to move faster than he normally could so that he could stand a better chance against Edward.

After a few backflips, Sora ties to throw more fists and kicks, then he begins to roll from one side to the other. Al then said, "Keep moving Sora, I think your speed is improving!" Sora cheered, "HELLZ-YEAH! I'll show that crabby dwarf!"

"_**WHO-ZAT-YER-CALLIN-A-DEMI-SIZED-HAPPY-MEAL-FIT-FOR -THE-TINY-KIDDIES?!**_" Ed said as he gave Sora a wedgie.

After Ed releases Sora, the two prepare for Round 2…

Ed crossed his arms to appear superior to Sora, "This is it Sora, if you can't beat me in a fist fight, then you CAN'T fight Riku!" Sora twitched in shock, so he asked, "W-WHAT?! But this is a fight between-!" Ed interrupted, "-Between old friends? Why? Why do you deserve to fight him without my permission? HUH?! The military GAVE you to me, and you've NEVER followed my orders correctly! You've always fought him and talked to him without our permission, so now, I'm drawing the line, I'm taking away your privileges! This will be done once we return to Central City!"

Sora yelled, "WHAT'S THE MATTER WITH YOU EDWARD, why are you doing this to me?!"

Ed replied, "Because I can't trust you anymore."

Edward's answer surprised Sora, so Ed explained, "Always gotta be the hero, always leaving me and Al behind! I can't trust you to return alive anymore, so if you go alone to Riku, there's a chance that psycho won't tell you where Rose is, and there's a chance he'll kill you! You're always offering your life like it's nothing, like you've got nothing to live for! **YOU PIECE OF CRAP!** Hughes, Donald, Goofy, Alphonse, and me, your friends, what are friends to you, huh?"

Sora answered, "My friends are worth EVERYTHING to me! That's why I have to keep you safe!" Ed then asked, "How, by taking a bullet, a dagger, poison, teeth to the throat?! Why can't your friends be there for you? Why won't you let us help you?! You've always come for us, but you never let us come for you! Friends are more than just 'possessions' to protect! They're people, people who want to see you again! You think I can allow a selfish bodyguard to follow me around?! FAT CHANCE! Riku will kill you, and you're going to allow him to do it because it'll 'protect us'! Sora, you should consider what you have right now! What strengthens you, what gets you out of your high horse of delusions and sets you on the right path?! …give up? _**IT'S YOUR FRIENDS!**_"

"Edward…I know you're more than a possession, I'm not trying to say you're anything less either-."

"THEN PROVE IT! PROVE THAT I CAN TRUST YOU TO COME BACK ALIVE!"

Ed then clapped his hands and made the ground under Sora's feet burst up, launching him into the sky! As Sora fell, he said, "You can always trust me Ed!" Sora then landed on his feet and ran towards the Fullmetal; he then slid through the ground at Ed, who grabbed him by the collar of his shirt, and punched him several times in the gut before throwing him! But the young assassin landed on the palms of his hands and back-flipped towards Ed!

"I can't even trust you to hit me!" Ed said as he kicked Sora away! Ed then ran at Sora, trying to tackle him…

"First, wait for the attack…"

Ed then clenched his Automail fist, readying a punch…

"Second…DEFEND!"

Sora then caught Ed's fist…

"And third…"

And without hesitation, Sora used his knee on Ed's chin! Followed up by a kick to the gut! And after releasing Ed's fist, Sora grabbed Ed's regular arm and tossed him against a tree!

Ed tried to get up quickly to continue the fight, but Sora's heel was right against his throat!

"…like I said Ed, you can trust me…if you trust me to kick your ass, then I'll do everything in my power to bring you down to size."

Sora then offered Ed a hand, which Ed took. After his bodyguard pulled him back up, Sora said, "Only a true friend would be so concerned about me, that he'd go all the way to knock some sense into me and remind me where I truly belonged…with the people I care about." As Sora made his usual goofy grin…

(BASH)

Ed used his Automail fist to punch his bodyguard in the gut!

Ed then said, "So you'll come back, right?" Sora slowly raised his head and said to Ed, "Yeah…_t-trust m-me…_"

The Fullmetal Alchemist laughed and walked back to the Rockbell House while Alphonse ran to Sora and asked, "Are you alright?!" to which Sora answered, "It's funny…he pulled all his punches…until that…last…ugh…" Sora then fell onto Al, who brought him back into the Rockbell house as well…

Meanwhile, Crimson was watching the events that passed from his Mystical Broken Mirror. He sat on his throne and wondered, "He lost the Keyblade, he should lose all hope, and yet, the boy persists in his attempts to defeat his former 'buddy'. Why would he continue his efforts? Does he still wish to get through to the rouge assassin, or settle the score of which is truly the strongest? Either way, I'm still intrigued."

"Why wouldn't you be master?" The Phantom Blott asked as he gave the Golem King a richly made roll of bread bathed in strawberry jam and a small salad dish. As Crimson removed his mask (offscreen) to eat his dinner, he asked, "Putting the subject aside, how is our little ice-cube doing?" The Blott replied, "He's already in Central. And from the looks of it, he's enjoying himself quite well. Why, look at all his little drawings."

Crimson's Mirror pieces then brought up images of Isaac in Central, hiding in alleys while drawing Transmutation Circles. As he placed his mask back on his face, Crimson asked, "Well while the Freezing Alchemist is playing 'connect the dots', how would you feel about visiting our favorite misfits?"

"The Elric Brothers?"

"Yes…the former will fight the true heir to the Keyblade, using nothing but his own bare hands. I'm relying on your talents to distract 'Grumpy the Dwarf' and the 'Tin Man', can this be done?" The Phantom Blott bowed to his master and said, "Of course, my liege. My talents will leave them _**breathless.**_"

Back in Risembool, Sora was following Edward & Alphonse to a small house, burned to the ground many years ago…

"This was where the front door was…and the living room…the fireplace was here, we'd start it when it got cold…you'd always make an excuse so you could stop gathering wood." Al said as he walked up to the remains. Ed chuckled, "Yup, I always found a way out…" Sora was a bit confused, but he started to understand where he was. So Sora asked, "So, this was your old home?" Ed nodded, "Home sweet home, well at least it was when mom was still around."

Sora then asked, "…why did you do it? The house, it was there for you and Al, but you burned it down! So why would you destroy a place that brought so much happiness to you and Al?!" Ed answered, "Mom…when she was dying, so was our natural happy lives. Nothing seemed to bring us joy anymore, not even the Rockbells. And so we left to find a new reason to live. Al and I…we destroyed ourselves to try and bring mom back, the end result was a memory we wanted to forget."

"So you threw away those memories because of a little failure?!" Sora asked. Ed angrily replied, "A LITTLE FAILURE?! WE DESTROYED OUR BODIES FOR HER-!" Sora then said, "Not THOSE memories, dumbass! I'm talking about your days with your mother; THOSE memories are the ones you should never forget! Now I'm sorry I wasn't around back then…to help you two get through this. But I'll tell you this, the happy days and decisions of our past make us more than what we were…you remember your mother, so that means you can also remember her cooking, her pleasant words of praise, and you might remember the holidays you spent with her. Please Edward, stop thinking about the darkness and concentrate on the light."

Sora placed his right hand on Al's shoulder and his left hand on Ed's shoulder and said, "You proved to me how much of a good guy you were Edward! Protecting you is my job, but you and Al have shown me that you both were capable without me, and that you were also capable of protecting me. These examples you gave me brought back the feeling of teamwork, a feeling I once had with my brothers and sisters at Y. O. U. T. H., and thanks to those reminders, I can remember and smile at those good days. The same thing can happen to you two; remember your joy, and the feeling of knowing the flowers around you will blossom every spring. 'No frowning, no sad faces', OK?"

"You got that from the duck, didn't you?"

Sora twitched a bit when Ed asked the question…

But Ed laughed instead of becoming furious. Ed then said, "My bodyguard, giving me advice?! WHAT A RIOT!" Sora frowned as Al joined in the laughing. But after a while, Ed stretched his hand to Sora and said, "I needed to hear that, thanks partner." Sora smiled and shook Ed's hand, "Anytime…partner!"

As the duo released each other's hands, Sora looked back at the Rockbell House and said, "…you still have a home guys. Over there, with a loving and caring family that waits for your safe return." Ed and Al looked at the house and noticed a light going on and off…

"…it's the same as mom. When it was time for us to return home, mom would flash a light from the house for us to see." Al said as the light flickered in the distance.

Ed smiled and said, "…Winry, you're always worrying about us."

Sora chuckled and said, "She's the example of happy memories I was looking for. Ed, try thinking of days like this, then your adventures might not be so painful." Ed nodded and said, "…remember to come back, alright?" Sora unsheathed his dagger and smiled, "Hey come on, I'm like a boomerang! Trust me."

Sora turned around and headed for the mountains, leaving Ed and Al alone…

After a few minutes, the Elric Brothers headed back to the Rockbells Home, where Winry was waiting for them. Winry then noticed, "Hey, where's Sora?" Ed answered, "He's taking care of some business. But he'll be back."

"Actually, there's a chance he won't."

The Elrics then noticed someone standing behind Winry!

(SHROOOOOH)

A large mass of black smoke blew Winry into the Elrics! And out of the house, came a figure with strange alchemic markings on his entire robe. His eyes were white and his robe covered most of his body. The strange figure then said to the teens, "I snuck in through the shadows of your mechanic's home to meet with you personally Edward Elric. This introduction was rude; however, I think you'll find this to be VERY educational and worthwhile…_since I'll be teaching you the meaning of __**death**_**.**

End of Chapter 86

* * *

**Plot twists turn wild as old friends and foes change the coarse of the tale...**

**Please Comment!**


	87. Chapter 87

**Last time, Edward's secret message in his pocket watch tore Winry apart. The mechanic knew the risks when she cared for her childhood friends, but she was heartbroken when Ed explained how he didn't want her involved with him and Al in their lives, he even explained how dangerous it was, but Winry didn't care, she saw Ed's words as excuses to run away from her, so she stormed off...**

**Afterwords, Sora and Edward continued their fight, however, Edward threatened his bodyguard by restricting his actions if he fails to defeat him. Edward confessed that he started to see Sora as a wannabee sacrifice who though dying would keep his friends and family safe. The Fullmetal began his assault, intending to keep his friend from losing his life carelessly again. However, thanks to Alphonse, Sora successfully mastered the 'Counter Attack' and defeated Edward with a strong toss.**

**After stopping by the Elric Brothers' old home, Sora was ready to face Riku in the mines. But as he left, the Elrics get a surprise visit from Crimson's mad scientist, the Phantom Blott!**

**Warning: Kingdom Hearts and Fullmetal Alchemist are both licensed by Square-Enix. The secondary licenses for both franchises are Disney (Kingdom Hearts), Aniplex, Bones Inc., and Funimation (Fullmetal Alchemist). **

**PS: There will be spoilers.**

* * *

Fullmetal Kingdom: The Fanfic

Chapter 87: Phantasms

Sora finally arrived at the Risembool mines, where he hopes to find and battle his former friend, Riku. As he walks closer, he wonders, "Are you really waiting for me here? Or is this just another trap?"

(tack, tack, tack)

The young assassin quickly looked around to find whatever was out there, but the area was silent…

"…Y. O. U. T. H. Spies, they're watching every move I make."

Sora took a deep breath, and walked into the cave entrance. As he did, the spies came out of their hiding places and attempted to close the entrance to the mines…

(click)

**(BLAM)**

One of the spies were shot down, and the group stayed together to find the killer! To their shock, the gunman was nowhere to be found. And so the spies separated to try and locate their target. One looked around outside the mining area to see if the gunman was hiding somewhere out there, but his eyes caught no signs of a human body part…

And so the spy swiftly returned to his subordinate and whispered the situation. As he did, another came back and whispered the same conclusion, 'no one was found'.

**(BANG, BANG)**

To the superior's shock, his informants have dropped dead! The rest of the spies rallied together to protect their leader!

"I'm afraid that was my bad. _I should've killed you all at once!_"

The spies looked at the cave entrance and noticed someone walking out…

"Y-YOU?! You would betray us after everything we did for you?!"

"**As if****!** I'm betraying you after everything you failed to do!" said the gunman as he pointed his rifle at the spies. But the gunman stopped and examined his weapon, "Hmm…NAH, too slow for my tastes. Yeah, what we need is an immediate conclusion to this sob story. And what better way to end this…" As the gunman was trying to pull something out, two of the spies tried to kill their treacherous adversary!

"In memory of our fallen comrades, Y. O. U. T. H. CLAIMS YOUR LIFE-!"

_**(RATATATATATATATATATATATATATATATA-)**_

Bullets flew swiftly through the air, tearing through the Y. O. U. T. H. Spies that came at him! As the Spies fell, the gunman finished his sentence, "…then with my own well thought 'Happy Ending'. THAT way, the kiddies laugh and smile at the lies without ever being told the truth (blows smoke away from the gun barrel)."

The superior Spy took out his dagger and asked, "WHY?! We pledged our allegiance to you when your master saved us! We were as one unit!" The gunman laughed, "(laugh) Oh that was a good one! Look kiddo, you kids were just toys! Toys we can mess with! As if we thought of you as actual people! In reality, YOU served us because you HAD to! Because you had nothing left! Because THAT'S what toys live for! To be used in whatever way the big boys & girls wanted."

Unbeknown to the gunman, a hooded figure was watching…

"That's…Braig, Xehanort's bodyguard! Why is he in Risembool? And why is he killing his own men?!"

As the hooded figure continued watching, the assassin leapt towards his enemy and yelled, "WE'RE NOT TOYS, WE'RE ASSASSINS!" The superior threw his dagger at Braig, but the target moved his head slightly to the right, successfully dodging the small blade!

Braig then grabbed the spy by the throat and said, "I'm not in the mood for a second scar…" Braig then used both his hands to take the spy's throat and squeeze…

"Before I send you to Hell, I'll tell you three things…1, Xehanort's goals involve watching the Keyblade. 2, your only goal was to lure the spikey-headed kid to us. And 3, you guys and Riku have done SO well, that we won't need you anymore. 'Happy Day' for you, huh?"

"(gasp) P-p-please…l-let…(gasp, gasp)…l…let me g-….o…."

(CRACK)

The spy's body became limp.

Braig laughed maniacally as he tossed the broken body aside and walked back into the cave. Witnessing the sinister man's work, the hooded figure ran away…

Back at the Risembool House, the Phantom Blott stepped out of the house to face the Elrics and Winry, who hid herself behind Alphonse. The Phantom looks at Alphonse and complements, "…Stunning job Mr. Elric, VERY stunning indeed. It's almost hard to imagine that there's no one in there." Al asked, "W-what do you mean by that?!" Ed answers, "He knows about us Al, THAT'S what he meant."

The Phantom Blott nods, "But of course, what wouldn't I know about the young brothers who dared God's hand? That reminds me, please tell me Edward, what possessed you to turn your brother into a freak-?"

(SLASH)

Edward transmuted his arm-blade and attacked the Blott! But to his shock, the Phantom disappeared!

"Outstanding, like a true scientist, you would not hesitate to dissect the specimen! That brother of yours must have had quite the bodily organs!"

Edward attempted to slice through the Blott (who was standing behind him), but once again, Ed was cutting through nothing! Ed then yelled, "QUIT POPPING OUT AND TAUNTING ME YOU BASTARD!" The Phantom appeared beside Ed and asked, "Taunting? I'm applauding your attempt, silly boy! Any alchemist would tear his family to pieces for the ultimate power!"

"WE WERE TRYING TO BRING OUR MOTHER BACK!" Ed said as he tried grabbing the Phantom Blott! "If you wanted to see her again, commit suicide like a true son-." The Blott taunted as he appeared behind Ed.

Suddenly, a large hand grabbed his shoulder!

"Shut up…JUST SHUT UP!"

(KA-POW)

A strong punch from Alphonse Elric sent the villain flying! And as the Blott collided with the ground, Ed grabbed him by the cloak and asked, "Who the Hell are you anyway?!" The Phantom replied, "In case the Shadow Shift wasn't enough of a hint, let me give you the short version…I'm Crimson's lead scientist!"

As the Phantom ended his sentence, black smog circled around Edward, who asked, "W-what is this?" The Blott answered, "It's a paralyzing smoke-screen I've made in case the trout was too resilient." The Blott grabs Ed by the head and shoves him to the ground. Al took Winry by the hand and took her into the house, and then he said, "You'll be safe in the house, please Winry, stay inside!" Winry watched as Al ran back outside and closed the door. She then said, "That psychopath…I can't let him get away with saying that!"

Back outside, the Phantom Blott created a scalpel from his index finger and said, "I've always wanted…to see what makes a murderer tick…" Ed tried to move, but all he could do is ask, "…who…are you…?" The shadowy madman replied, "I am your true colors, the true desire of mankind…the Darkness of your heart colored Black…these words sound the eager caw of the crow, and so shall they be the last words you hear alive…THE PHANTOM BLOTT!"

Just before the cloaked man could use his surgical tool, Alchemic bolts of light danced around him…

"A Transmutation?!"

The Phantom Blott then noticed Alphonse's chalk drawing…

"THE EMPTY YOUTH?!"

At that instant, the Blott fell through a deep hole in the ground!

Alphonse ran to Edward to see if he was alright, Ed then said, "I-it's OK Al…the stuff seems to be fading…I'll be moving in no time." Al nodded and said, "That's good, I was afraid you were a goner."

"_**YOU'LL BOTH BE GONE IN **__**SECONDS BEFORE I'M THROUGH WITH YOU!**_"

The Phantom Blott rose from the pit and used a strange form of magic to bring out earthly arms to hold the brothers down! The Phantom Blott then created larger scalpels from the darkness and said, "Perhaps you'll be more open to my procedures when you're dead."

"PROCEED THIS!"

(BA-TANG)

A wrench flew right at the Phantom Blott's face, knocking him down! Al broke out of the earth-arms and proceeded to freeing Ed, who notices Winry on the balcony and waved, "THANKS WINRY!" The mechanic waved at her friends in response and headed back inside the house.

"AAAAAAAAGH, YOU…BRATS…I'LL BURN THIS HOUSE TO THE GROUND-!"

(BANG)

Before the Phantom could do anything, the villain was shot in the back!

Ed and Al then saw a figure in a black coat run up to them and say, "Edward, it was a set up! Y. O. U. T. H. was used by Xehanort, and I just saw the proof!" Ed tried to calm his rescuer, "Calm down Kairi, start from the beginning, what are you talking about-?"

"_**KAIRI?!**_ W-WAIT BROTHER, DID YOU JUST SAY 'KAIRI'?!"

Ed smiled and said, "It was a surprise for me to Al, but for whatever reason, Kai's here to help." Kairi removed her hood and revealed her face, shocking Alphonse. Kairi then waved, "Hey Al…it's good to see you." Al shook off his shock and said, "Y-you're really alive…thank God you're alright!" Alphonse then hugged Kairi, who could hardly breathe! Kairi then begged, "A-ALPHONSE…W-WIND-PIPE…BEING…C-CRUSHED!"

Alphonse released Kairi, who took a few deep breaths before explaining the situation…

"_**The one-eyed guy did WHAT?!**_"

Kairi nodded, "It's true, Braig said that Xehanort was using Y. O. U. T. H. to lure Sora and the Keyblade to him." Al then said, "But Riku's got the Keyblade! Why would Xehanort want Sora when the Keyblade is already his?"

"Perhaps he wants to see the Keyblade in action."

The trio turns around and notices the Phantom standing back up. The Phantom then said, "He IS a scientist isn't he? Xehanort's interest in the Keyblade can be explained simply by imagining what it would be like to wield it in another's hands. Basically, he wants to know if ANYBODY can unlock its powers, not just your bodyguard."

Kairi then said, "I guess we'll be heading back to the mines." Ed nodded and said, "Looks that way. Come on Al!" Al then asked, "W-wait, what about the Phantom Blott? He could still try to kill us!"

Suddenly, Kairi noticed something amiss…

"Say, where is the Phantom?"

She and the Elrics looked around, and saw no sign of the Phantom Blott, so Ed said, "Hopefully, he ran away with his tail between his legs. Now, let's get moving!" Kairi and Al nodded and headed towards the mines. But as they ran, Al looked at Kairi and thought, _It's good to see you again, Kairi. But I still don't get it, you were shot by Grand's cannon-fire, yet here you are, alive and uninjured. How did you make it out alive…and why didn't you tell us?_

"Uh, Alphonse, my eyes are up here."

Al looked at Kairi and blushed, "O-of course they are, I was just wondering…Kairi, this question's giving me a headache, so I'll just ask you straight out. **How did you come back from the dead?**"

Kairi was silent, but after a few seconds, she said to him, "…I can't tell you…I just can't, alright?" Al then said, "But Kairi, you were shot to death!" Kairi then said, "Alright, listen Alphonse, a girl deserves to have her own secrets. If you keep butting into my private life, then you aren't acting like a friend, you're acting like a-!"

"Hey, Jack & Jill, we've got company." Edward yelled.

Kairi and Alphonse looked at what Edward was facing, and there, standing at the entrance, was a bunch of people.

Kairi then said, "W-what the Hell?! The bodies, where are they?! And what's with those people over there?" Al then said, "Brother, I've got a bad feeling about this." Ed looked at Al and agreed, "You to huh? Yeah, if there were bodies here, I'd say these people were responsible for removing the evidence."

Kairi walked up to the towns people and asked, "WHAT ARE YOU GUYS DOING HERE?! Get lost before you become psycho-killer fodder!" Alphonse grasped Kairi's shoulder, "Please Kairi, calm down, let us talk to them; they live here, so they might know us." Al then looked at the citizens and said, "(ahem) Please, evacuate the area quickly! We got word that assassins are roaming around-!"

"…OR…DURZZZ…CAN…NOT…LET…YOU…PASS…"

Ed was confused, so he asked, "WHAT?! What're you babbling about? Stop screwing around and go home-!" Al then realized, "Wait…hey Ed…are these people from Risembool?" Ed looked carefully at the town's people and replied, "…now that you mention it…I don't think I've seen their faces before."

"…ORR…DURZ…**CAN…NOT…LET**_**…YOU…PASS…urgh…GRAAAAAAAAAHHHHH!**_"

Kairi stepped back and asked, "W-what's happening here?!"

To the group's horror, the three citizens grabbed their skulls, screamed out, and transformed into Neo Shadows! Ed transmuted his arm-blade and yelled, "WHAT THE-?! So these guys were Golems!" Al then noticed the emblem, "Not just any Golems, **Xehanort's** Golems!" Kairi brought out her guns and said, "Watch out boys, their coming for us!"

End of Chapter 87

* * *

**Next Chapter, the Elrics and Kairi search through the mines for Sora while he faces Riku in a deathmatch of Darkness...**

**Please Comment!**


	88. Chapter 88

**Last time, the Elric Brothers encountered, and battled, Crimson's top scientist, the Phantom Blott, who was eager to mock the Elrics' attempt at Human Transmutation and turn them into cadavers! Luckily, Winry and a surprisingly living Kairi aided them in defeating the mad man. After the fight, Kairi revealed Xehanort's true plans, to use the Y. O. U. T. H. Assassins to lure Sora into a fight with Riku and study the former Keybearer's actions. She also revealed that Braig killed a group off after they failed in every mission they were given! The trio headed to the mines to try and warn Sora when suddenly, a group of zombie-like citizens came in their way. As it turned out, the citizens were actually Neo-Shadow Golems, ready to attack the rescuers and prevent their interference...**

**Warning: Kingdom Hearts and Fullmetal Alchemist are both licensed by Square-Enix. The secondary licenses for both franchises are Disney (Kingdom Hearts), Aniplex, Bones Inc., and Funimation (Fullmetal Alchemist). **

**PS: There will be spoilers.**

* * *

Fullmetal Kingdom: The Fanfic

Chapter 88: Doorway to Destiny

Inside the mines, Sora was looking for Riku, when out of the darkness, a large doorway opened! Sora sighed and stepped inside the next room…

"Quit while you can. Just take the hint and leave."

Riku then stepped out of the shadows and into the light. Strangely, he was wearing a dark blue skin-like armor that looked almost like worms or tentacles. Sora shook off the feeling of fear and said, "Did you forget? I came here to save Rose…and the rest of our friends." Riku shook his head and took out his Keyblade, "You're hopeless…as long as you can't wield THIS, you can't fight. And I've already won, so you don't get to see your replacement for Namine anymore."

"You're wrong Riku, I'm NOT hopeless. I'll find a way to bring you back…as the childhood friend who saved me from the streets. That's why I'm going to save YOU next…because like Rose and the other orphans, you need my help…just as I need your help in finding them." Sora said. Riku angrily said, "I DON'T REMEMBER ASKING FOR YOUR HELP!"

Sora felt shocked when Riku snapped. Riku then settled down and said, "…it feels good, you forget all the useless stuff in the past…and remember for the first time what matters the most. This is what my heart was telling me on the day our base was demolished; to look away from the crap those scientists put us through. I remembered her Sora, I remembered the one person who truly mattered to me…Namine. And ever since I reunited with her, I vowed NEVER to look back at Y. O. U. T. H. again! Nothing matters to me anymore…nothing."

Sora nodded, "…it's alright Riku, you can hate me all you want, just know that I would never betray you. Even if I'm not around, you can still count on me to come whenever there's trouble, whenever you need someone…to JOG YOUR MEMORY!" Riku chuckled and asked, "What are you doing? I have the Keyblade, remember? So how can you fight without a weapon?!" Sora replied, "My friends…my new family…and the soldiers I fought beside and worked with. Thanks to them, I've learned that I have no need for a weapon to fight people like you…" Then the young man took a battle-stance and readied himself for a fight…

Back outside, Edward sliced down the last Neoshadow. After the trio breathed a sigh of relief, Al said, "Those Golems, they had the same emblem we saw in East City. That can only mean…" Ed nodded, "Yeah, those Golems weren't under Crimson's radar. They were working for Xehanort!" Kairi then asked, "Xehanort, you think HE'S the one who-?! … (ahem) So, these Golems, they were able to take on human forms. Does that mean these things can change themselves now?" Al answered, "Looks that way, but did you catch what they were saying? They said something about _**'orr-durrz'.**_"

Kairi and Edward thought for a while until Kairi said, "Hmm, 'orr-durrz'…Hors d'oeuvres…WAIT, do you think he meant 'orders'?" Ed nodded, "Sounds right to me. They were given orders by someone to not allow passage. The REAL question NOW is…who?" Al then said, "Well, there's no use pondering out here. We'd better check on Sora before the Golem's leader does anything else." Ed pounded his fist into his hand eagerly and said, "ALRIGHT, Riku, it's time for ROUND TWO!"

As the Elrics ran into the mines, Kairi thought, _Hmm…What made'em think Xehanort was behind this? If anyone, it would have to be-._

"HEY GIRLY, WHAT'S TAKING YOU?! COME ON BEFORE WE LEAVE YOU BEHIND!"

Kairi stopped thinking about it and said, "Ed's right, Sora's in danger!" And with that, Kairi ran into the mines to meet with the Elrics…

Back in the chamber, Riku tried slicing Sora in half, but to his shock, Sora caught the blade! The young assassin then took the advantage, and grabbed Riku by the arm, and then, he miraculously tossed him into a wall!

Riku stood back up and said, "(gasp)…you… (gasp)…you seem to have some new tricks. No doubt from your new friends the Elric Brothers!" Sora remarked, "Aw, you know me so well. But knowing you, I'll bet you weren't able to unlock ANY of the Keyblade's power." Riku replied, "THAT'S…where you're wrong. I've been practicing some new moves with this blade, and found that your precious sword had plenty to give. Like for instance…"

"…powers that reflect the same darkness that burns within me!"

As Sora wondered what Riku meant, the white haired assassin jumped into the air and yelled, "Here's the first…THE HELM SLPITTER!" Riku charged downwards at Sora, repeatedly trying to skewer him! Sora dodged as many as he could until Riku's blade down upon him!

But to Riku's shock, Sora lifted his legs back and avoided the attack! Riku then received a strong kick to the jaw! Sora picked up Riku's Keyblade and asked, "One more?" Then he tossed it to Riku, who roared and charged at Sora!

Meanwhile, Braig watched while drinking some Black Cherry Potion. He quietly said, "...you'd better get that dagger o' yours out kid, otherwise, there won't be enough blood in this bath." As Braig watched something hidden in darkness loomed over him. Braig noticed the presence and asked, "There's no way in here, right?" The unknown thing bowed, signaling 'yes'. Braig then said, "Good, keep it that way." The thing nodded and slumped away…

Back outside the room, Kairi has just regrouped with the Elric Brothers. She then asked, "The Risembool Mining Caverns, how big do you think this place is?" Al answered, "Pretty big, when we were kids, brother and I got lost in these caverns for a long time." Ed grumbled, "This'll be our 5th time in these stupid caverns." Kairi then asked, "So…I'm guessing your history with this place was pretty bad, huh?" The Elrics nodded in response.

Suddenly, Kairi noticed a strangely-marked and shaped doorway! "Hey Guy, look over there!" The Elrics followed Kairi towards the door, as they came before it, Al wondered, "Hmm, this door, do you think Sora's behind them?" Kairi nodded, "I have no doubt he's fighting Riku inside." Al then said, "It's kinda strange, I don't remember these doors being here when we were little…" Ed then said, "Who cares? We've arrived, so the best thing we can do now is open'em and see what's inside."

Kairi walked up and tried to push the door open, but to her surprise, the door was unmovable! She looked at the Elrics and said, "These doors…they won't budge!" Al came up to the door and said, "Alright, stand back Kairi. I'll see what I can do." Al then pushed the doors as hard as he could, but much like before, the doors were unmovable. Al wondered, "I guess they don't open that way."

Ed then said, "Alright, let's try pulling 'em apart!" Edward and Kairi grasped one side of the door while Alphonse grasped the other. Then the group pulled with all their might…but to no avail. Kairi looked at the door and said, "There's only ONE explanation for a tight crack like this…it's locked."

"Alright, then I'll blast through these doors with alchemy!" Edward said. "HANG ON THERE, CAP'N HOOK! These mines are old; you might cause a cave-in!" Kairi said. Ed then asked, "Well what do you suggest, PINKY?!" Kairi growled, "Alright Ed, quit calling me 'pinky' and let me think!" Al then looked at the door and said to Ed and Kairi, "Hey guys, I think I've found something. Don't you think it's weird for a set of doors to have a round depression on the middle like this?"

Ed and Kairi looked at the round depression on the door, and Kairi wondered, "Could this be…a contraption for opening these doors?" Ed nodded, "Yeah, it is! Nice going Al! Now all we need to do is find something to fit in there…" Just then, Kairi noticed something next to her foot. She looked and saw a circular tablet that was broken earlier into 4 pieces. Kairi picked one of the pieces up and said, "Ed, Al, I've found our 'circular tablet', but it's…" Al looked at the pieces and said, "…It's alright Kairi, we can use alchemy to fix the tablet. We'll be saving Sora in no time." Ed nodded, "Alright, stand back and watch the fireworks!"

Just when Ed clapped, the group felt something pulling them…

"E-ED, LOOK!"

Ed turned around and saw a heavily built Golem with a giant hole for a head sucking up everything in its path! Kairi then said, "I've seen that thing before! That Golem is called the Black Hole, it pulls in anything in front of it's three mouths, and it has the ability to transmute bombs from its stomach!" Ed yelled, "OH, THAT'S COMFORTING! What could be worse?!"

"It also shoots bullets."

"YER KIDDING!"

The trio and the tablet pieces were sucked right into the creature's gapping mouth, and after a few seconds, the Black Hole spat them back out! Al then said, "(whew) That was close!" Ed agreed, "Yeah, I thought we were gonna end up as that thing's instant dinner!" Kairi then said, "It got some appetizers." The Elrics looked at Kairi, who was looking at her hands. Kairi then asked, "The tablet pieces…are they still behind us?!" Ed and Al looked back and noticed the pieces were gone!

As the Black Hole licked its chops, Ed said, "DAMN-IT, that thing swallowed them!" Kairi then said, "It's even eaten the piece I had." Al stood up and said, "We have to get those tablet pieces back!"

Suddenly, the Black Hole started twitching…

And at THAT instant, 3 more Black Hole Golems came out of its back!

And the 4 ran deep into the caves!

Ed angrily said, "Son of a bitch! That thing split into 4 Golems!" Kairi then said, "Each one probably houses within its gut a tablet piece! We need to get them back!" Al nodded, "Let's split up! Brother and I will take the left wing, and Kairi, you take the-!" Kairi then said, "HANG ON! You expect a girl to walk alone in this dark and spooky cave filled with God-knows-what?! I don't think so!" Ed sighed, "Well, I guess we'll still be a 'big happy family'. PFFF, WHATEVER! The more the merrier." Kairi then said, "-And the quicker we get to helping Sora. COME ON!" The trio headed deep into the caverns, looking for the Black Holes…

Hours passed as the trio hunted the Black Holes down, one by one, and collected the tablet pieces…

The final Black Hole was finally found and cornered. And Kairi said to it, "Come on 'uggo', spit it out!" Ed then said, "Looks like he's not cooperating Al, we'll have to do this the old fashioned way!" The trio then charged at it! But to their shock, the creature ran away, back to the area where the large door was located! Al then said, "Ed, Kairi, it looks like it's heading back!" Ed then said, "Looks that way, this thing's making it too easy for us…"

As the three warriors followed the Black Hole, a massive shadow came out and devoured the Golem! As the creature was destroyed, the final tablet piece was dropped in the center of the cave. Kairi and Ed tried to grab it when suddenly; a shadowy hand took it away, causing Kairi and Ed to fall over!

"E-Ed, it's him, the Phantom Blott!"

The dark figure nodded, "Very perceptive of you 'young' Elric."

Kairi got up and pointed her guns at the Phantom, "HAND THAT THING OVER NOW!" The Phantom answered, "Why would I do that? Your friend is putting up quite a fight, and it would be rude to intrude." Ed immediately transmuted his arm-blade and said, "She said NOW, Blott! So if you want to keep that hand, I suggest you give it here!"

"Hmm…so be it! You certainly know how to make a bargain, Elric." The Phantom Blott then tossed the tablet piece over to the group…

"Then again-."

Suddenly, a claw appeared from the tablet piece's shadow and grabbed it! The claw then tossed the tablet piece over to the Blott, who said, "-so do I. Let's make an exchange, boy. Give me your body so I could see what makes you tick, and I'll allow you to interfere with Sora's fight to the death-."

(THWACK)

The Blott's head was surprisingly clocked to the ground by Kairi, who switched her handgun around to the handles so she could break the villain's jaw-line. Kairi kicked the tablet piece out of the Phantom's hands and picked it up. Ed and Al stared in shock as Kairi asked, "So are you guys here to save somebody or do you want to waste time staring at my ass?!" Ed argued, "A-ARE YOU KIDDING ME?! We were staring at the way you just mashed the living blanket over there!" Al then said, "Ed, the tablet pieces!" Ed snapped out of his angry attitude and said, "R-right, bring the pieces together guys. It's Transmutation Time!"

Kairi and Alphonse laid the pieces together and watched as Ed clapped his hands and formed the tablet whole! Kairi cheered, "ALRIGHT EDDY, now let's fit this sucker in and hope for the best!" Al placed the tablet into the door and stood back…

Ed then asked, "So, aren't these doors supposed to open?" Al answered, "Y-yeah, but…" Kairi then asked, "Well…is it just me, or did we go through all that cat & mouse crap just for a TOTALLY WRONG ASSUMPTION?!" Just then, Al noticed something, "Kairi, brother, look, the doors are opening!"

The doors started to open slowly, making Kairi say, "NOW it opens?! Oh well, at least we were right!" Al then said, "Yep, we're good to go…but I wonder what's waiting for us?" Kairi replied, "All I care about is seeing Sora alive and well. Bring on whatever surprises you want destiny, I'LL KICK THEIR BUTTS!" Kairi ran into the next room while Ed whispered, "Anything could happen, so stay sharp Al."

As Al nodded, the brothers follow their friend through the doors, ready to rescue their bodyguard.

End of Chapter 88

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**Next Chapter, secrets are revealed as Sora and Riku end their conflict...**

**Please Comment!**


	89. Chapter 89

**Last time, The Elric Brothers and Kairi defeated the Golems who guarded the entrance to the mines and headed in, hoping to find Sora. What they found instead was a broken tablet that could act as a key to the door that lead to the room where Sora was fighting Riku. Such a thing could easily be fixed through alchemy, but Edward was stopped by a large Golem (commanded by Braig to refute any and all attempts to break into the chamber) called the Black Hole, which separated into 4 forms, and taking a piece of the tablet each!**

**Inside the locked chamber, Sora was met with an unfriendly greeting as Riku continued to insult and attack him! But despite Riku's new found powers (courtesy of the Keyblade), Sora had a new and surprising advantage, his Counter Attacks, taught by the Elric Brothers!**

**Meanwhile, Edward, Kairi, and Alphonse found all 4 tablet pieces and were ready to go, but the Phantom Blott surprised them! Fortunatley, the quick-thinking of a certain Gunslinger gave them the opportunity they needed to get them back, transmute them into a full tablet, and open the doorway into Riku's chamber...**

**Warning: Kingdom Hearts and Fullmetal Alchemist are both licensed by Square-Enix. The secondary licenses for both franchises are Disney (Kingdom Hearts), Aniplex, Bones Inc., and Funimation (Fullmetal Alchemist). **

**PS: There will be spoilers.**

* * *

Fullmetal Kingdom: The Fanfic

Chapter 89: The Same Story

The Phantom Blott awakened from the sudden blow to the face. As he tried getting up, he felt his nose, broken by the force of Kairi's handle. His eyes filled up with rage as he snapped the nose back in place and said, "…she ruined it…she spoiled my exchange…my ingenious exchange! DAMN YOU…**IMMORTAL!**"

Through the doors, Edward, Kairi, and Alphonse arrived to witness Sora's struggle with Riku! Sora was holding the tip of the Keyblade, keeping it from striking him. As Riku pushed further, he said, "I see your friends are all here…to see you lose…like you were meant to!" Riku then removed the keychain, and pulled his sword away, cutting Sora's fingers!

As Sora clutched his hands together to try and cover the wounds, Riku placed the Keychain in his pocket and said, "You should have used your dagger. You could've ended this in a heartbeat if you had just killed me! But no, your oath to kill got in the way. So now here you are, cradling your fingers, unable to defend yourself. Guess that makes me the winner! HA!" Riku attempts to cut down Sora when suddenly, Sora stopped the attack with his own shoe!

Sora then said, "What was that about me 'unable to defend myself'? Right now Riku…YOU'RE THE ONE WHO'S DEFENSELESS!" Sora then kicked Riku's sword away, staggering Riku for a second, then he took Riku by the arm, punched him in the gut, chest, shoulder, and the face, and then, he tossed him to the ground, and finished his brutal attack by leaping into the air, and elbowing Riku in the stomach! The force of the attack had Riku coughing out blood, which shocked not only Kairi and the Elrics, but Braig as well!

Braig wondered, "Holy cow, how'd the rookie bring out THAT power? Heh, this show's just getting better and better…"

Sora fell down, exhausted by the fight. He then noticed the Elrics running to him and asked, "Ugh…guys, what're you-…what are you doing here?" Ed answered, "It was a set up Sora, the Y. O. U. T. H. assassins were being used by Xehanort all along to try and lure you in here! And after you came inside the mines, Xehanort had one of his buddies rip your friends to pieces!" Sora asked, "H-HE KILLED THEM?!" Al replied, "Well, from what Kairi told us, there were just three assassins. So hopefully the others are safe somewhere-."

"W-wait a minute, did you say Kairi?!"

Kairi looked around Alphonse and waved, "Hi there…"

Sora stood up and walked towards Kairi, amazed at his friend's appearance. He then asked, "…you were…but now…it's like you weren't shot! H-how is this possible?!" Kairi replied, "Calm down, just…just stop talking…" Kairi hugged her friend and smiled at the Elrics, "They helped me see you again. You…who forgot everything…" Kairi releases Sora and said to him, "Look, I know what you want, and that's answers. So…Grand missed! ^_^"

Sora and the Elrics stood there and asked, "_**GRAND MISSED?!**_"

As Kairi cheerfully nodded, Sora said, "B-but you weren't moving! I could've sword you were killed!" Al then said, "Yeah, and Edge told me the same thing! He saw you get shot by the cannonball!" Ed nodded, "I'm afraid they got you there 'princess', so how about an explanation?" Kairi answered, "Well, the Cannonball surprised me as much as the next person, but it actually skimmed past me. IT TOOK SOME HAIR WITH IT THOUGH!"

Sora then asked, "So…you're sticking to that story?" Kairi nodded, "Yep, Grand missed, that's all you need to know!" Sora shook his head, "No, you're lying to us, you have to be!" Kairi looked Sora in the eyes and said, "You have your secrets Sora, as do the Elric Brothers! So at least let me have mine-!" Sora yelled, "THE CANNONBALL CONNECTED WITH YOUR GUT, AND KILLED YOU! YOU WERE MOTIONLESS, YOU DIDN'T STAND UP FROM THE BEACH, YOU WERE LAYING THERE LIKE YOU WERE DEAD, SO UNLESS YOU TELL THE TRUTH, I'LL-!"

"YOU'LL WHAT?! YOU'LL NEVER SPEAK TO ME AGAIN? YOU'LL IGNORE ME?! Trust me Sora; that happened already! (sigh) Look, I PROMISE I'll tell you the truth, EVERYTHING! But for now, aren't you happy to see me? I came to Risembool because of you after all!" Kairi's eyes were watering, forcing Sora to feel ashamed. So the assassin said to her, "I-I am happy you're alive, Kairi, I really am. Just…just stop hiding things form me! I want to know EVERYTHING about how you-!"

Kairi tapped Sora's lips and winked, "Everything, I promise."

Everyone then looked at Riku, who could barely move. And so Sora came over to him and made a simple demand, "I've beaten you Riku, so let's end this! I want to know where Rose is NOW." Riku answered, "(cough-cough) You…think I…I would tell you, **YOU**, THE SAME ONE WHO BETRAYED NAMINE?!" Sora then said, "It's the code we need to keep Riku. If you can't keep your word, then you can't be part of Y. O. U. T. H. anymore. So unless you want to tarnish our honor, then fulfill your end of the deal, and tell me where Rose is!"

"If I did, then I'd be hurting Namine, just like you."

Ed then asked, "So you still want to fight?! Y'know, Xehanort's the reason you're-!" Riku then said, "He's not here, and this ISN'T about him! I'm here to protect Namine from YOU! And THAT'S all that matters now. Sora…I made a promise to her, to Namine, a promise to keep her safe." Sora then asked, "W-wait…YOU did?"

"There was a Meteor Shower…"

As Riku explained his promise, Sora couldn't help but remember something similar happening…

"**WOW, that's more wishes than I can make!"**

"…this one night when she and I were little."

"**Hey Namine, what's wrong?"**

"Namine…got scared and asked-."

"**What if a shooting star hits the island?"**

"So I told her…"

"**If a shooting star comes this way…-"**

"-I'll hit it right back into space!"

Sora then realized that he had the same memory! Sora then said, "YOU MADE A PROMISE WITH A TOY SWORD, DIDN'T YOU?!" Everyone looked at Sora in amazement. Riku then wondered, "H-how do YOU know that?!" Sora answered, "Because THAT was the promise I made to her that night! 'I would protect her' I said it!" Riku shook his head and said, "DON'T LIE! You weren't there that night!" Sora then said, "YOU were the one who wasn't there! That was when she gave her good luck charm to me! And it was the same charm I gave to you before I left Y. O. U. T. H."

"You…gave it to me? No…NO, you're lying! I don't remember-!" Riku started to struggle with something inside. Kairi then wondered, "So…you two have the same memory?" Sora answered, "Looks that way. But what I don't get is…how?"

Braig shook his head in disappointment and said, "Geez, talk about a 'Plan Backfire'. Guess it's time for Plan B…"

(BANG)

As everyone heard the gunshot, Riku fell to the ground.

"_**RIKU!**_"

Sora came to Riku's side and tried to find where his old friend was shot…

"L-leave me…alone…" Riku said, Sora answered, "Come on Riku, you're stronger than that! A bullet-shot like that couldn't stop you, it can't!" Sora finally found the bullet wound; it was close to Riku's heart. Sora tried to use something in his pockets to save Riku, pincers, thread, anything that could stop the bleeding…

As Sora tried to take the bullet out, Riku said, "You would-(cough)…you would save me…even after I kidnapped your friend? And after…I said all those things to you…you would still-(COUGH-cough)" Sora smiled, "Don't talk Riku, just give me some time."

"Time isn't on your side kid."

Braig shows himself to the group as he walks into the chamber. Sora then noticed smoke coming from his gun…

"You…you shot him!"

Braig clapped in response, "Bravo squirt, you've solved the mystery of your dying friend's killer." Sora barked, "He's not dying, I'm going to save him, do you hear me?!" Braig sneered, "'Save him', as if. I shot him in the heart 'Mr. Hero', the bleeding, that's the least of your worries. The heart is punctured; the beating will slow down eventually, sending your beloved rival to Hell with the rest of the traitors and backstabbers."

"SHUT UP!"

As Riku yelled, he looked to Sora and said to him, "Rose and Namine…they're still alive…stop wasting time here and…and s-save…" Sora shook his head, "No, I'm not saving anyone, not without you!" Braig laughed and said, "Y'know, if it makes you feel any better,_** that's not really Riku.**_"

The room went completely silent as Braig continued, "Yep, you heard me right, **THAT'S…**_**NOT**_**…REALLY…RIKU!**" Sora stood up and looked at Braig in confusion, "…w-what are you-? …WHAT ARE YOU TRYING TO PULL?! YOU EXPECT ME TO BELIEVE THAT THIS PERSON LYING HERE DYING ISN'T RIKU?!"

Braig nodded, "That's right, that's not your traitor over there, because there never was a traitor to start with. Riku had no part in this to be honest, he was just like you, a chicken who hides behind beliefs and fairy tales like a kindergartener. We needed to push you, and Riku was our secret weapon, but the sap was corrupted, your 'promise', it screwed the guy up. We could never get someone THAT heart-filled to manipulate you, so we decided to take another approach…We activated _Mission-R,_ _**the Replica Program**_, to bring out another Riku, who had the same looks as your friend, but his intentions…well, you get the idea."

Sora had a hard time taking all that in, so he said, "So…you were planning on using Riku against me…why would you do this?! What do you want from me?!"

"The Keyblade."

Braig explained, "We watched you for a VERY long time kid, I can't get into details on how long we watched, but the purpose was the same as the rest. We needed to see the Keyblade in action, study it, understand it, the thing is practically a genuine Philosopher Stone disguised as a sword!"

"Brother, did he just say-?!"

"Yeah Al, the Keyblade…it's a Philosopher Stone!"

Braig then said, "_**AS IF!**_ The Keyblade can be easily thought of as a similar source of power like the stone, but sources can't confirm it yet. So if I were you two, I'd hold off on believing that load. And speaking of 'load'…" Braig then pulled out a tommy-gun and shot near Sora's feet to get him away! Braig then took the Keyblade from what everyone thought was Riku, and pulled off the Keychain. He then threw it to Sora and said, "Check out my surprise to find three of the most annoying soldiers of Central Command here, before me, in the middle of my little trap."

Kairi then asked, "T-TRAP?! What are you planning ya one-eyed-jackass?!" Braig smiled and said, "Oh yeah, the princess is here to! Sorry lady, I guess you'll have to join the ride as well. I'm giving you little quadruplets the opportunity of a lifetime! I'm sending you to another realm!"

Ed then asked, "A-ANOTHER WORLD?! What are you blathering about? There's only one world, and we're smack-dab on it!" Sora then realized something, "…we're standing on something…these markings…I know them…Oh God, GUYS GET OUT, IT'S A TRANSMUTATION CIRCLE THAT'LL TAKE YOU SOMEWHERE ELSE!" Braig clapped and said, "Bravo Sora, bravo. It looks like you experienced this Transmutation before, but you'd better watch out, THIS won't be the same world you went to before! I expect you to learn more of the Keyblade's tricks by the time we meet again, but for now, adios!" Braig then clapped his hands and activated the circle, which started to glow purple…

Kairi then asked, "Are we really just gonna sit around here and wait?!" She then ran towards Braig, but the gunman pulled out a small Red Stone, surprising Alphonse, "A Red Stone, just like the ones from Xenotime!" Braig nodded, "That's right 'Tin-Man', but this baby's already got its eyes set on a new man." Braig then dropped it onto the replica of Riku, whose body started to twitch and scream out in pain!

Sora yelled, "RIKU, I'M COMING!" Braig shook his head and said, "Coming for Riku? AS IF. What you're coming towards is the TRUE form of the Replica!"

The replica then slowly stood up, and as it did, it's body changed into a green, scaly humanoid creature, with yellow hair pulled back, a jaw fused with the face, one yellow eye and a red eye on the right side of the face. The Riku Replica's hands and feet were replaced by beastly claws, and the Replica looked at its newly mutated body in horror and screeched loudly in the room!

The group looked in sadness and pity as the creature covered it's eyes in shame…

Sora tried to approach the green, scaly creature, "Riku…I'm sorry…I'll try to do something to save you…I'll try-."

"_**RRRRRRRRAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAWWWWWWWWWWRRRRRRGGGG!**_"

(P-THWAPP)

The replica swatted Sora into Kairi and Edward!

Alphonse then said, "It's no use Sora, he's not thinking straight, and sadly, I doubt we can do anything for him anymore." Sora stood back up and said, "No, we HAVE to save him! Like Rose…like Naimine…HE NEEDS ME TO SAVE HIM!" Sora then snapped the Keychain onto his Avenger, restoring the Avenger's form as a Keyblade.

"Hold on Riku, _THIS WILL BE QUICK!_"

End of Chapter 89

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**Next Chapter, the heroes try and escape the Transmutation Circle while dealing with the Riku Replica...**

**Please Comment!**


	90. Chapter 90

**Last time, Edward, Kairi, and Alphonse rushed in time to see Sora use his lessons on Counter Attacks against Riku. Sora was shocked to see Kairi alive and well, however, Riku was determined to fight the former master of the Keyblade to the death for Namine, who's experiences with the boy was strangely (and surprisingly) similar to Sora's memories!**

**Suddenly, Xehanort's bodyguard, Braig, shot Riku and revealed a startling secret, 'Riku' was never really Riku! He was actually a replica created to frame the real Riku and push Sora into Xehanort's grasp for study and research on the Keyblade's Keychain, which Braig gave back to Sora as a reward for beating the replica. Braig even explained the Keyblade's similarity with a Philosopher Stone, which intrigued Edward. But Braig wasn't finished yet, he revealed the Transmutation Circle beneath the group's feet AND it's power to send them to another realm!  
**

**To stall them, Braig brought out a Red Stone and dropped it into the Riku Replica's bullet wound, changing the clone into a green, scaly monster, ready to tear it's prey to pieces...**

**Warning: Kingdom Hearts and Fullmetal Alchemist are both licensed by Square-Enix. The secondary licenses for both franchises are Disney (Kingdom Hearts), Aniplex, Bones Inc., and Funimation (Fullmetal Alchemist). **

**PS: There will be spoilers.**

* * *

Fullmetal Kingdom: The Fanfic

Chapter 90: VS the Replica

The Replica grabbed Ed by the throat and threw him in the middle of the Transmutation Circle! The Replica then jumped into the air and was readying it's claws to run the Fullmetal through! But Ed's quick thinking helped him roll out of the way and transmute a fist from the ground, punching the Replica away! Ed then yelled, "THAT'S HOW IT'S DONE MR. FAKE!"

The Replica hissed and pounded the ground, and to Ed's shock, it summoned metal pillars from the ground with red alchemic symbols! The pillars came under Sora, Kairi, and Alphonse, and blew them into the Transmutation Circle with it and Ed. Sora got up and said, "Those pillars, the circles on them were probably made to activate a combustible attack to blow us sky high! Watch out for those guys!"

But before Sora, could do anything, he vanished!

Kairi looked around and called out, "S-Sora?! Sora, can you hear me?!" Al then said, "It's the Transmutation, like the man with the eye-patch said, Sora must have been sent to another world! We have to get out of the circle!" Kairi argued, "YOU CAN'T JUST SAY THAT, NOT TO ME! Sora has to be in that other world, we have to try and get him back-!"

Just before Kairi could say anything, Alphonse disappeared before her!

Kairi looked at Ed and said, "No…EDWARD, ALPHONSE, HE'S-!" Ed kicked the Replica away and yelled, "Damn-it, not him to! AL, WHERE ARE YOU?! **ALPHOOOOOOOOOONSE!**"

"_**GRAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA**__**RGH!**_"

As the Replica roared, Kairi and Edward stood together, ready to fight as a team.

"Looks like we're not leaving the way we came in!" Kairi said as she reloaded her guns. Ed transmuted a spear from the ground and said, "Then I guess there's only one way to go…"

"_**FORWARD!**_" Ed and Kairi said as they charged at the Replica!

Kairi aimed for the hands, stunning the creature momentarily. Ed then jabbed his spear into the Replica's stomach, and stuck it to a wall! Ed then started beating the Replica with his Automail fist, but the creature grabbed Ed by the throat and walked through the spear, leaving it stuck on the wall while it threw the Fullmetal at the Gunslinger!

The Replica then pulled Ed's spear out of the wall and changed it into a spear made entirely out of pure darkness. Ed summoned his Arm-Blade and tried to cut down his opponent, but the Replica blocked his attack and reached towards the Fullmetal's throat, only for Ed to counter with his other hand and head-butt the monster!

The Replica was stunned long enough for Kairi to perform a Summersault Kick and shoot it into the air! Kairi then tried to finish the Replica off by jumping towards it, grabbing it by the hair, and throwing it towards one of it's explosive pillars!

"…N…ami…ne…"

Surprisingly, the Replica spans around and unleashed large balls of flame at Kairi, who was blown through the ceiling! Ed watched as the Replica touched the pillar and changed it into a Black Hole Golem! The Golem started pulling Edward in like its previous copies, giving the Replica the opportunity to charge at Ed, but the Fullmetal Alchemist's agile reflexes allowed him to avoid the attack and counter with a kick to the gut, sending the Replica into the Black Hole's mouth!

Ed stood back up and dusted his coat while saying, "Take your time 'Scaly', you and me, we both know this isn't over." As Ed finished, the Black Hole started twitching…

(BRA-KOOM)

The Golem exploded from the inside, and out lunged the Replica, who unleashed a foray of claw attacks at Ed. Edward defended with his Automail Arm and traded blows with his opponent! As they continued to attack, Ed and the Replica were not getting any closer to successfully landing a blow on one another!

Kairi dropped down and attacked the Replica from behind using the steel handle of her gun! The Replica turned around to try and attack the Gunslinger, but as it did, Ed attacked from behind as well! The Replica was overwhelmed by Kairi and Edward's constant sneak attacks that it found an opening and jumped out of the way!

"GIVE THEM BACK, DO YOU HEAR ME?! GIVE THEM BACK!" Kairi yelled as she ran towards the green monster. But before Kairi could touch it, the Replica summoned it's bat-wing blade, the Soul Eater, and swung it at her, forcing Kairi to step back! The Replica then summoned Neoshadows and had them deal with Kairi while it pointed it's blade at Edward, who smiled and said, "So you want me to be your dance partner, huh? Alright, LET'S DANCE!"

"R…Rose…lab…"

Ed was startled, "Did you just say Rose? Wait…you also said 'lab'…what kind of lab?"

"Ed, if you're not too busy, I could use an 'Iron Fist' right now!" Kairi said as she tried to fight off the Neoshadows. Ed clapped his hands together to forge a counter attack on the Golems, but the Replica grabbed his throat and squeezed! Ed then said, "I-I'm…k-kinda…b-busy…r-right…n-now!" Kairi sighed, "(sigh) Men these days, they won't offer a woman ANYTHING!" The Gunslinger then shot the nearest Golem in the stomach and kicked it away! As the next one tried to grab her, Kairi found a chance and shot the Replica in the head!

Ed was released as the creature fell, dead to the ground. Ed then swiftly transmuted some strange vacuums from the ground, and pulled the Golems away from Kairi, who shot down each one! Kairi then said, "Well, that was fun, but now we need to look for Sora and Al!" Ed shook his head and told her, "I doubt we'll find them here. This Transmutation Circle must have sent them somewhere else…the question is, where?"

Suddenly, the Replica twitched…

…and the red core on it's chest started to glow…

Ed looked at the Transmutation Circle they were on and wondered, "Al and Sora disappeared, so why are we still here?" Kairi answered, "Maybe it takes two people an hour or something. Whatever, we HAVE to get Sora back; otherwise, I'll never be able to tell him about-!" Just then, Kairi vanished into thin air! Now Edward was alone in the area…

(HISSSSSS)

As Ed heard the hissing, he turned around slowly…

…and found another Replica in front of him!

"OK, you're clearly different from the Riku knock-off. For one thing, you're a chick."

The Female Replica then turned towards the Male Replica and helped it up. The Male then summoned the Soul Eater again. Ed smiled and said, "Alright, I get it, 'the Main Event'. If you think another dance partner's all you need to take care of me, THEN BRING IT ON!"

The Female summoned more Black Hole Golems and summoned the same blade as the Male while the Male summoned more Neoshadow Golems! The siblings charge at Edward, who simply jumped over them, grabbed their hair, and threw them downward, face-first on the ground! But the agile Female grabbed Ed with her feet and tossed him away!

The Male then attempted to stab Ed, who blocked the blade with his transmuted blade! The Male furiously swung his sword at Ed, causing the fighters to dual with swords! Edward was keeping his cool and reading the moves of the Male perfectly. And when the Male attempted to run the Fullmetal through the head, Ed simply moved out of the way, grabbed the Male's arm, and twisted it, breaking the Male Replica's arm. Edward proceeded to kneeing his opponent in the gut and bringing down the Male with his bare fists!

"Now it's your turn, scaly-bitch!" Ed said as he pointed at the Female Replica. But to his shock, the Female was nowhere to be found…

(KA-POW)

Ed was suddenly attacked from behind, and as he tried to get up, he noticed the Transmutation Circle was starting to engulf him as it did Sora, Alphonse, and Kairi! Ed looked around and saw the Female carry the Male away. The Black Hole Golems held Ed down as the Transmutation Circle absorbed him in light. He struggled, but the creatures kept him down, refusing his escape!

Ed slowly turned around and sliced the Golem giants into pieces! Ed then charged at the Replica Siblings and yelled, "_**I'M NOT THOUGH WITH YOU TWO YET!**_ SORA, AL, KAIRI, ROSE, _**GIVE THEM BACK!**_" The Male Replica then pushed the Female away and (using it's working arm) it caught Ed's Transmuted Blade!

As Ed stood, dumbstruck, the Male and Female Replicas slowly fused back together, and after the fusion caused a blinding light to shine, standing before Ed, was the form of Riku that the Replica took a while ago…

The Riku Replica then said, "…_TAKE THEM, IF YOU CAN!_" The Replica then pushed Edward back and swung his sword at him! The two then clashed with each other, trying to defeat the other with their blades!

"YOU WANT SOME MORE?!" The Replika said as he threw Ed off with his blade.

"I DIDN'T KNOW YOU HAD MORE!" Ed said as he blocked the Replica and kicked him away!

As the two fought, the Transmutation continued to glow brighter, and brighter, until…

…they vanished!

As the battle ended, in his throne room, Crimson stood up from his throne, had his magic mirror disappear, and poured himself a glass of strawberry wine. He then said to himself, "Well THAT was worth nothing. The psycho-assassin, nothing but a fake, who knew? …hmm, that Transmutation Circle…it was like the one I previously used to arrive at Wonderland…"

Crimson then drank from his glass and said, "Perhaps THIS gate leads to another world inhabiting another 'light-hearted' princess…" Crimson then opened a portal with the same Transmutation Circle on it and proceeded to walking through it.

"The Seven…will soon be mine."

Meanwhile…

"(gasping)!"

As Ed woke up, he noticed the area he was in, white nothingness all around, no sound, no life, completely void of existence…

"W-where is this?!"

**Aw, sounds like somebody's lacking in memory.**

"_WHO'S THERE?!_"

**You know better than anyone, Edward.**

**We met a while ago when you were still a child.**

**Or, do you need a reminder?**

Edward slowly turned around and saw a startling figure with no face, "No…no, not you…NO!"

**Oh, so NOW you remember?**

**Goody, then we can begin the fun.**

At that moment, Edward heard a large door open. He turned around slowly and saw a giant doorway, which seemed VERY familiar to him. "_N-NO, YOU CAN'T, I GAVE YOU WHAT YOU WANTED, __LEAVE US ALONE!_" Edward said as the gateway opened. As it did, children's laughter was heard while a large number of eyes opened and looked at the Fullmetal!

**You're missing a few, I know.**

**THAT'S because they went into the Gate ahead of you, and when you step through…**

…**WE'LL BEGIN THE FUN!**

Black tentacles then emerged from the Gate and grabbed Edward! As they pulled him into the Gate, he screamed, "WHERE ARE YOU TAKING ME?! WHERE'S AL?! _TELL ME DAMN IT, __**TELL MEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE-!**__"_

(SLAM)

End of Chapter 90 and the Risembool Arc

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**Next Chapter, our heroes travel beyond infinity and find a friend in need...**

**Please Comment!**


	91. Chapter 91

**"Dear Readers,**

**Today (or Yesterday, if you're reading this recently), Kingdom Hearts III has been announced for the Playstation IV!**

**I'm sure you must all be as excited as I am when the game showed Sora in high definitional graphics of the PS4, seeing Sora wielding the Master's Key, appearing again in Destiny Islands (playable?) and Twilight Town, and fighting a swarm of Shadows, moving unlike anything you've seen before (except maybe the Keyblades in Keyblade Graveyard when Vanitas was surfing on them). I'll be saving up for the Playstation 4 as soon as possible, so if you don't have a plan for your money, THEN START SAVING!**

**Also, despite the series nearly coming to an end, I'm happy to say that this series will try to end like Kingdom Hearts III & Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood.**

**To those who are still reading, you're the reason I'm still writing, thank you all, and good luck in the future. For now, I'll be uploading Fullmetal Kingdom twice a week until Chapter 111, when you all tell me what you thought of 'Disc One' and if you'd like Disc Two to come afterwords. Plus, I have some plans in mind that I'll reveal on the chapter when it comes, so don't go anywhere, let your voice of opinion be heard, and HAVE A GREAT SUMMER! :D**

**Fans forever, Werehog26"**

**Last time, The Riku that Sora was fighting turned out to be a fake created to lure Sora into Xehanort's clutches to study. He and his friends started vanishing through the Transmutation Circle that Braig surprised them with! Edward and Kairi were the only ones left who could stand up to the mutant replica and it's twin sister! However, eventually, they, and the Replica, vanished into the Transmutation Circle, which will send them through the Gateway, and into another world...**

**Warning: Kingdom Hearts and Fullmetal Alchemist are both licensed by Square-Enix. The secondary licenses for both franchises are Disney (Kingdom Hearts), Aniplex, Bones Inc., and Funimation (Fullmetal Alchemist). **

**PS: There will be spoilers.**

* * *

Fullmetal Kingdom: The Fanfic

Chapter 91: Andy's Neighborhood

Edward woke up and looked around, seeing himself inside a child's room. He then rubbed his head while getting up, but as he did, he felt something solid on his head…

"…don't tell me the faker took my hair!"

Ed felt his scalp and realized what happened…

"…my hand…"

"W-WHY IS MY HAND MADE OF WOOD?!"

Edward looked at his arms in horror, and then at his legs, which were all made of wood. Stressed, Ed looked around the area for some answers, but as he did, he noticed that the child's room was almost as big as a city! Ed then made a silly guess, "Oh crap, I must've been cursed by a giant! _**THAT'S RIGHT KIDS, I READ THE 'MAGIC GIA**__**NT' STORIES!**_"

"Brother?!"

Ed turned around and saw Alphonse, whose appearance also changed into something else!

"A-Alphonse, your body, it's…plastic?!"

Al looked at himself and answered, "Looks like it. That toy over there said I was supposed to be some kind of 'robot' action figure." Ed then asked, "**WHAT THE HELL'S A ROBOT AL?!**" Al replied, "I-I don't know, calm down brother, your scaring me!" Ed then yelled, "I'm scaring you?! My body is made of wood, my hair is solid, my arms and legs are raggedy, my jaw sticks out, _AND I'M SCARING YOU?!_ Look at your appearance Al; you look just as weird as me! I'm glad YOU'RE having fun looking like a walking toilet, but we're human Al, _**NOT A BUNCH OF DAMN**_-wait, who told you that you were a robot?"

Al answered, "A toy brother, she was pretty nice. She called herself Bo Peep and said that you crashed over here, so I came all the way here to see you. So now that we're reunited, we have to find Sora and Kairi." Ed could hardly believe what was happening, but he stopped thinking about it and said, "…alright, let's find the lovebirds and get the Hell outta here!"

Elsewhere, under the giant bed, the replica of Riku woke up and looked at his hands. He clenched his fists in anger and wondered, "…Braig…what the Hell were you thinking? It was _MINE!_"

"A Voodoo Doll form? Well, it seems appropriate for a dark visage of the original."

The Replica turned around to see who spoke. But to his amazement, no one was there…

"Let's stop messing with each other, I'm behind you."

As the Replica turned around, he saw a large muscular figure come out of a dark portal. The Replica immediately recognized him, "I didn't expect the almighty Golem King to appear. What do you want, filth?" Crimson answered, "Don't trash talk to your future ally boy. I'm merely here to offer you some advice. Or would you rather hear Xehanort's voice instead of mine? It's alright, babies love there daddy, don't they? Oh wait, Xehanort's not your dad, he's your owner."

The Replica brings out his Soul Eater and argues, "A Golem with simple thoughts can be nothing more than simple minded." Crimson then said, "Goat me all you want, but you won't win Namine with that kind of attitude…or strength. Women love a man with power that exceeds the imagination and the potential. But you're nothing more than a joke, a mirror, and a false truth that gains one thing and losses another. At this rate, your precious Namine will go off running into the arms of her chosen man."

"You think…_YOU THINK I'M WEAKER THAN SORA?!_"

"…yes. You are a fake, and therefore, you cannot possess the same heart that the boy has. Now, now, there's no need for tears. There is a way to make you stronger." Crimson said. The Replica shook his head, "I seriously doubt that." Crimson then said, "Doubters, they can be such pansies when they refuse to listen. You need to concentrate on the '_**here-and-now**_' little boy, you need to remember the Red Stone embedded inside you."

The Replica then remembered Braig dropping a Red Stone into his body. The Replica clenched his fists in anger, "That…that one-eyed traitor! HE SET ME UP-!" Crimson then pointed out, "-with a Red Stone, interesting. It's extraordinary power is relative to the real Philosopher Stone, therefore…you have in you the possibility of _**forging your own Keybl**__**ade.**_"

"Wait…my own Keyblade?!" The Replica was confused, so Crimson explained, "He said it himself, a Keyblade has a power relative to the Philosopher Stone. And a Red Stone is a copy of the real Stone, thus, anything you want, can be simply fabricated from the source of power given to you. You could be a REAL Master of the Key like the Wielders of old."

The Replica then asked, "…what can I do?" Crimson answered, "Hmm…Keyblade Wielders were divided into two sides, Light and Darkness. The supposed true side of Wielders is on the side of Light. However, it IS possible to forge a Keyblade through the dark designs of your heart. Jealousy, Hatred, the common Sins of man, that and a bit of alchemic properties, and you can create a weapon that rivals Sora's Keyblade."

The Replica took a deep breath, and jabbed his hand into his side, prying out the Red Stone in his body! Crimson then warned, "I see you're a man of action. But be warned, the Red Stone is faulty, it's a double-edged sword disguised as the Holy Grail. You may lose the power before you can even wield it." The Replica shook his head, "Whatever it takes, I WILL protect Namine!" As he stared into the red glowing rock in his grip, the Replica thought, _Sora, you tried to save my life, even after I deceived yo__u, but your feelings died before they could reach me, I'm sorry. This chance won't go to waste; I'll either destroy you…or make you stronger…for Namine…the one you want to see._

Using his inner power, the Riku Replica summoned a purple flame and began merging his power with the Red Stone. Strangely, the Red Stone started glowing brighter and brighter, and sapped the flame in the Replica's hand! Then the Replica realized the Stone wasn't just absorbing his power, it was absorbing his life! The Replica started gasping for air until Crimson said, "This is all party of the process, there is nothing to fear…Your sins, your imagination, I can almost taste them. Now, think of your Keyblade, concentrate, **let your heart, your being, become Darkness itself…**"

(_**SPLORCH**_)

"_**GRRRRRRRRAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAGH !**_"

"(gasp) RIKU?!"

Sora woke up on top of a giant bed and noticed where he was, "…am I in a level based on 'Honey I Shrunk the Kids'?" Sora then rubbed his head and noticed something strange about his paw-

"DID YOU JUST SAY PAW?!"

Yes, I said paw.

(ahem) Now, Sora looked at his arms and feet and noticed he was no longer human, he was…

"WHY AM I A STUFFED ANIMAL?!"

"Aw, Sora, you're a furry little tiger with a coat and shoes? THAT'S…SOOOOOOOO CUTE!"

"K-Kairi-?!"

Suddenly, Sora found himself hugged by a gothic/Victorian clothed doll! Sora then said, "H-hey, come on, let me go Kairi!" The doll released him and apologized, "S-sorry Sora, I just-_…(squeal) YOU'RE SO CUTE!_" Kairi went back to hugging Sora, which caused Sora to get upset and jump out of her arms!

"KAIRI, I'M BEING-why are you a doll?" Sora asked.

Kairi answered, "I dunno, why are you **SOOOOOOOOOOO CUUUUUUUUUTE-?!**"

Sora hopped back and bared his claws, "Keep your distance 'Shirley Temple'!"

"Hand me some more of that bonding strip."

As soon as Sora and Kairi heard the voice, they headed over to the edge of the bed to find a white-suited toy, taping a cardboard ship together. Sora then said to Kairi, "This guy might give us a clue on why we look like toys. Let's get down and talk with him-(Kairi reaches out to hug Sora)-do you like that hat you're wearing?" Kairi placed her hands down and nodded.

So the duo climbed down from the bed and walked towards the toy when suddenly, someone called out to them, "Hey, who are you two?" Sora and Kairi turned around to see a cowboy doll looking at them. He then asked, "I've never seen you toys before. Who are you?" Kairi answered, "Well, we're people, not toys. See, there was a weird accident caused by a Transmutation Circle, and it caused us to teleport here…with the added bonus of turning us into toys."

"So you two are insane like that toy over there?"

Sora and Kairi were confused, so the cowboy doll said, "What I mean is, 'do you two think you're both actual humans?'" Sora and Kairi nodded, making the doll say, "Well THAT guy over there thinks he's a real Space Ranger, which is just ridiculous!" Sora nodded, "Sounds ridiculous, I mean, that guy, from space? Come on, people can't just go to the moon like it's some other place to visit! It's in space, you go up there, and there's a chance you'll never go back!" The cowboy doll looked at Sora with a confused look and said, "…what year were you from?" Sora answered, "1923, duh! What about it?"

"_**What are you, 90**__** years old?!**_"

"Technically, we're 14."

The doll shook his head and said, "I-I can't deal with this!" As the doll walked away, Sora wondered, "What's up with that guy?"

"He's just a bit jealous of the new toy."

Sora and Kairi turned around and saw a sheepherding doll with a pleasant smile. Sora then asked, "New toy, you mean the guy in the bubble-headed suit?" The doll nodded, "Yes, ever since Andy got Buzz for his Birthday Present, Andy's been playing less with Woody and more with Buzz. And it's tearing Woody apart from the inside." Kairi then asked, "…Woody…the cowboy doll?" The sheepherder nodded, so Sora guessed, "And the toy with the bubble-head is Buzz?" The sheepherder nodded, "Yes, poor Woody just can't stop being jealous of Buzz, but Andy's not the type to forget his toys, he loves us all, just as much as we love him. By the way, my name is Bo, I'm a sheepherding doll."

"Pleasure to meet you mam, I'm Kairi, and this is Sora." Kairi said. Sora then asked, "Can I ask who this 'Andy' is?" Bo answered, "He's the little boy who plays with us, a sweet boy through and through. And a long time ago, Andy favored Woody among all his toys, he was Andy's favorite." Kairi then asked, "So Woody's feeling competitive about Buzz. Can't he learn to be friends with him?" Bo answered, "I wish it was simple, but it's not just jealousy stopping Woody. He's also-."

"STOP WITH THIS 'SPACEMAN' THING! It's getting on my nerves!"

As Woody snapped, Buzz looked at Woody angrily and asked, "Are you saying you want to make a complaint with Star Command?!" Woody chuckles, "OK, so you wanna do this the 'Hard Way' huh?" Buzz stood up and warned, "Just step away 'cowboy' or you'll get hurt." Woody then yelled, "OOH, YOU SURE ARE SCARY,_** TOUGH-GUY!**_"

Woody then went to pushing Buzz, which accidentally pressed the button that opened his helmet! Buzz then struggled and gasped for air until he realized that there was oxygen to breathe…

Everyone looked at Buzz like he was an idiot as he started sniffing the air, "(sniff-sniff) The air isn't…toxic?" Buzz then stood up and said to Woody, "How DARE you open a spaceman's helmet on an uncharted planet! My eyeballs could've been sucked from their sockets!" After Buzz sets his helmet back on, Woody asked, "So wait, you actually think…you're THE Buzz Lightyear? HA, all this time I thought it was an act! Hey guys look; it's the 'real' Buzz Lightyear!"

Sora stopped Woody and said, "Alright, that's enough. This guy wasn't doing anything wrong, but YOU had to try and make fun of him just because you felt threatened. If you really cared for Andy, you'd see just how stupid this is! You should be welcoming him, not push him away!" Woody then asked, "Who-who do you think you are?! You just came here, so how would a newbie like you know Andy?" Sora answered, "What can I say? I'm a good judge of character."

"Sora, is that you?!"

Sora and Kairi looked and saw the Elric Brothers heading towards them. Kairi then asked, "Alphonse…what happened to you?" Al answered, "Well, technically I'm a robot now. As for Ed, he's…a wooden puppet." Kairi and Alphonse then looked at Ed as he pokes at Sora's big fluffy tiger-head, "Oh my God, your girlfriend's an antic while you're a harmless little kitty."

(CHOMP)

"RAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAGH, AL , GET IT OFF, GET IT OFF!"

"It was going to happen, brother."

Suddenly, a slinky-dog toy rushed towards the group, "WOODY, WE NEED HELP!" Sora released Ed's wooden arm as Woody asked the dog, "Calm down Slinky, what's the problem?" Slinky explained, "Th-these strange looking toys, I-I've never seen anything like'em Woody! They're attacking the other toys-!" Sora then asked, "Wait, do these toys look like overgrown black cockroaches with yellow eyes?" Slinky nodded, "Y-yes, they're tearing Andy's Room apart!"

Sora then looked at the Elrics and Kairi and said, "It's Crimson, he's attacking this world to!" Ed then sighed, "THIS WORLD?! Jeez, why is it that when I travel with you, there's always some random bull-crap about magic and 'other worlds'?" Alphonse then said, "We'll have to hurry if we want to stop them!" The group then went to battle the Golems while Woody wondered, "There's something strange about those toys…" And so Woody chased after them!

"Woody!"

The cowboy doll looked back at Bo, who waved at him and said, "Try to be careful!"

Woody winked at her and said, "No problem Bo, I'll be back before you can say 'Reach for the Sky'!"

End of Chapter 91

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**Next Chapter, Woody's actions cause problems when an ally is caught off guard...**

**Please Comment!**


	92. Chapter 92

**Last time, our heroes, Sora, Edward, Kairi, and Alphonse, found themselves in a new world, where their appearances now resemble old toys!**

**As they explore the giant room, they encounter a cowboy doll named Woody, who has become annoyed by the new toy, Buzz Lightyear, whom his owner, Andy, was playing with more than him, his original favorite toy. Sora tried to put an end to Woody's bullying, but thus far, the cowboy's rage proved to be a powerful enemy. But an even deadlier enemy arrived in the form of Crimson and his Golems! So the brothers, the bodyguard, and the gunslinger headed out to fight them off!  
**

**However, unbeknownst to the heroes, the Riku Replica was in the world of toys as well, and was handed a new weapon, courtesy of Crimson and his dark magic...**

**Warning: Kingdom Hearts and Fullmetal Alchemist are both licensed by Square-Enix. The secondary licenses for both franchises are Disney (Kingdom Hearts), Aniplex, Bones Inc., and Funimation (Fullmetal Alchemist). **

**PS: There will be spoilers.**

* * *

Fullmetal Kingdom: The Fanfic

Chapter 92: Woody's Crime

The toys were running for their lives as the Golems attacked! One piggybank tripped and tried to get back up when suddenly, the Shadow Golems grabbed him and kept him down! "Hey, let me go ya roaches!" The piggybank yelled. But then, he saw a Toy Soldier Golem point its rifle at him, preparing to fire…

Just then, a spear went through the Golem, and the Shadow Golems were disposed of by gunfire!

The piggybank then saw Sora, Kairi and the Elric Brothers coming to his aid and asked, "You guys from Nerf or something?" Then Edward said, "Just get out of here, we don't need a side of bacon in the way!" The piggybank corrected Edward, "This 'side of bacon' is named Ham you crooked toothpick!" Ed then smiled and thought to himself, _Finally, a world where I'm not ridiculed by my size-._

"Watch yer back out there **little guy!**" Ham said as he retreated.

"_**WHO'S HE CALL'N A MICRO-MACHINE-MIDGET TH**__**E SIZE OF A BOOGER?!**_"

"DAMN-IT ED, GET YOUR HEAD BACK IN THE GAME!" Sora said as another wave of Golems approached them! Sora summoned his Avenger and sliced through the Golems while Alphonse tackled them from the side! Edward then transmuted a hammer from the ground and crushed the creatures. And Kairi shot one wave of Golems after another!

As the heroes tore through the Golems, Woody arrived and saw the group's amazing abilities! "A sword that can appear and disappear, coupled with the power to create anything from a simple clap? This…this just isn't-…it can't be natural! And wait, HOW DID A VICTORIAN DOLL GET GUNS?!"

Kairi then noticed a Toy Soldier Golem pointing its rifle at Woody, so she called out, "HEY, WOODSTOCK, GET DOWN!"

(BANG)

Woody turned around to see the Golem fall dead and disappear. He then looked at the heroes as they unleashed an onslaught of destruction on the Golem army! "What kind of toys are they?!" Suddenly, a Golem dropped by his feet! And the toss was made by none other than Buzz, who was fighting off a pair of Golems! Feeling outshined, Woody took a slingshot and headed up to aid Buzz!

Back in the battle, Kairi looked at Sora and asked, "Any idea on where these things are coming from?!" Sora answered, "We just need to find the one responsible, and then we can go home, sounds easy, right?" Kairi joked, "Oh yeah, EASY AS GOD DAMN PEASIES!" She then kicked a Golem away! Edward then asked, "So, any idea where we'll find their leader?" Sora answered, "He could be anywhere, so your guess is as good as Al's."

"Guys, up there, look!"

As Kairi pointed, they noticed Woody climbing up a chair to aid Buzz! Edward then said, "That cowboy doll again…" Alphonse headed for the chair to follow Woody, but Kairi asked, "Al, what are you doing?!" Al answered, "Saving them, what does it look like I'm doing? Now are you guys coming or what?" Sora sighed and helped Al up while following from behind. Kairi shook her head in disbelief, "(sigh) Everybody's gotta be the hero. Alright Ed, you go first."

Back up the desk, Buzz kicked and punched every single Golem that crossed his path. Woody then arrived and shot down a couple of Golems. After that, Buzz asked, "WHAT'RE YOU DOING COWBOY?! IT'S DANGEROUS HERE!" Woody answered, "I should say the same to you 'ranger boy', these monsters can't be beaten by simple force, they're killed by something else! And whatever it is, those new toys have it, they can wipe away these creatures in a heartbeat! So what we should do is get away from here and let them handle it!"

After he tried attacking with his laser (which doesn't work because it's 'a light bulb that blinks'), Buzz asked, "You'd abandon your friends, how could you do something so cowardly?!" Woody argued, "It's not cowardly you idiot! These guys are professionals, so the least we can do is leave the monster slaying to them-!" Suddenly, as Woody smacked Buzz from behind, the space ranger fell out of the window!

"(gasp) BUZZ!"

Woody's competition fell into some bushes as Edward, Sora, and the others arrived to aid the cowboy doll!

After a couple of minutes, the Golem threat seemed over. Sora then noticed something amiss…

"Woody, where's Buzz?"

Woody answered, "He…h-he was pushed out of the window by one of the-."

"HUMPTY DUMPTY WAS PUSHED BY WOODY!"

The group turned around and saw a strange looking toy that looked like a potato with human parts. Woody then said, "Oh come on, you don't really think I MEANT to knock Buzz out the window do you Potato Head?" The potato corrected, "That's MISTER Potato Head to YOU ya back-stab'n murderer!"

Woody tried to reason with Mr. Potato Head, "Now look, it was an accident, you-you gotta believe me!" Mr. Potato Head then said, "Nobody's gonna believe you after that little stunt you pulled 'Mr. Least-Favorite'! It took a while for that inner anger to come out, but I knew someday you couldn't take Buzz hogging all the glory anymore. So you got rid of Andy's NEW favorite because you were too chicken to face reality. Well what if Andy starts playing with ME more, huh, you gonna KNOCK ME OUT OF THE WINDOW TO?!"

Kairi then came between the two toys and said, "ENOUGH, pointing fingers isn't going to save Buzz! What CAN is strategy, teamwork, and-…and a whole lot of monkeys."

Minutes later, Kairi had the 'Barrel of Monkeys' monkeys hook together to make a way down from the window…

Afterwords, Kairi, Alphonse, Sora, and Edward climbed down the monkeys and landed safely on the grassy area, where they hope to find the Space Ranger…

"Woody, are you coming or not?!" Sora asked.

Up in Andy's Room, Woody was getting ready to climb down and help the heroes when he heard someone coming! "**ALRIGHT PIZZA PLANET, HERE I COME-!**" Andy came into his room and noticed Buzz was missing, so he yelled, "Mom, do you know where Buzz is?" His mom answered, "No, I haven't seen him. Isn't he in your room?" Andy answered, "No mom, he's nowhere in sight." Andy's mom then said, "Well you can still pick one other toy to bring, right?" Andy nodded and took Woody with him.

Back in the driveway, Alphonse tapped Sora on the back and said, "Come on, Woody'll make it. But for now, we'd better look for Buzz." Sora sighed and left with Al.

Ed looked through the bushes and called out, "HEY THERE-…what's his name? '_Bugs Bite-near_', '_Buns Bright-jeer_', _**damn-it!**__ His name can't be __**Butts Blunt-fear!**_" Kairi yelled, "STOP GUESSING GROSS NAMES ALREADY! His name is obviously Bus Tight-gear." Sora then guessed, "Wasn't his name Bubble-head or something?" Kairi angrily answered, "THAT'S GOING TOO FAR! THAT NAME DOESN'T EVEN SOUND LIKE BUZZ LIGHTY-oh, wait, I just got it (tee-hee)!"

Edward thought as Kairi giggled, _Dumb-Ass._

Just then, the group noticed Andy and his mom coming out of the house and into the car…which the group was under. Ed then noticed Woody in Andy's hand, "That's Woody! So that's why he couldn't follow us!" Al then asked, "Uh guys, what's wrong with our hiding place?" Sora answered, "It's a rear tire?"

(engine starts)

"_**AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAGH!**_"

The group retreats from the bottom of the car when out of nowhere; Buzz ran at the car and jumped on the bumper! Sora called out, "BUZZ, WAIT!" And with that, he jumped on the car's bumper! "SORA, WAIT FOR US!" Kairi yelled as she and the Elrics followed her and jumped onto the bumper! As the group came on the bumper, they hung on tightly as the car drove away…

Back in Risembool, Winry and Pinako went into the caverns of the old mines to look for the group of missing heroes.

Winry started to worry, "Knowing Ed, he's probably gotten himself and Al buried somewhere!" Pinako smoked her pipe and said, "Now Winry, the boys aren't just going to end up as dinosaur bones. They're actually pretty smart…at least when the 'short-round' starts thinking." Winry rushed further into the cavern and called out to them, "EDWARD, ALPHONSE, WHERE ARE YOU?! IF YOU AND YOUR SPIKY-HAIRED BODYGUARD DON'T COME OUT SOON, (angrily takes out her wrench) _**I'LL THRASH THIS WHOLE PLACE UNTIL YOU DO-!**_"

Pinako then noticed a doorway and called to her granddaughter, "Winry, quit yelling like a jealous girlfriend (Winry starts blushing). Let's check in here to see if our boys are sound asleep." Winry sighed and said, "A-alright granny." As the Rockbells entered, Winry thought, _I wonder if that girl is still with them… that red-haired girl seemed pretty anxiou__s to work with Ed and Al to save their bodyguard…_

Winry starts to remember Kairi's appearance…

(curves showing)

(silky skin showing)

(seductive face showing)

(cleavage-)

Winry angrily thinks, _DAMN THAT BODY OF HERS! She must be trying to hook up with them like the re__st of their stupid fans! Countless women are always showing up around our shop, wondering if Ed came back from a mission and if he'd sign their-AAAAAAAAGH, I HATE YOU ED-!_

"Yep, looks like the boys were here." Pinako's words snapped Winry out of her delusions. Winry looked around the room and noticed a few disorientated footprints on the ground, cracks on the walls, and parts of the floor missing; it was like a tremendous battle occurred. Pinako then noticed something on the ground, "Winry, get the major. He might know what this is."

Minutes later, Armstrong arrived to examine the ground…

"The drawing on the ground makes a remarkable resemblance to a Transmutation Circle, but the shape, the design, I have no memory of this being used in the history of our country. Not even the records in the state's library have any knowledge of this." Winry then asked, "But you CAN remake the Transmutation Circle, right?" Armstrong shook his head, "I'm sorry Winry, but I wouldn't know where to start. These markings are as strange to me as they are to you. I recognize all alchemic symbols from fire to water, but the symbol in the center…it's like nothing I've seen before."

"It's because this Transmutation is taboo."

Armstrong and the Rockbells turned around to find a hooded young man. The hooded figure came to Armstrong's side and examined the markings. The hooded figure then said, "This Circle creates a doorway into the Gateway of Truth." Armstrong wondered, "The…Gate of Truth, what is that?" The hooded figure answered, "It's what I just said, a doorway to all, your curiosity, questions, and riddles, everything, answered by merely opening the door. Many tried to open the doorway and find the answers to their most desired questions, but their answer was met only with the cost of their own existence." Armstrong began to fear the worst, "So, what you're insinuating is that the boys are already-."

"_**DON'T SAY IT!**_"

Winry's voice echoed through the caves as she begged, "Please…don't say they're gone… (sniff)…you…hooded guy…please…IS THERE A WAY TO SAVE THEM?!" The hooded figure replied, "…we need to redraw the circle…and enter the Gate."

Armstrong protested, "Such an action would result in MORE losses, are you saying that we'd have to lose ourselves in this gateway to save them?!" The hooded figure answered, "No, none of you have to walk in. The Keyblade Sora possesses enables him and his friends to leave a world when a summoning is finished. But a Forced Entry…his Keyblade is lost unless it sees a way out." Winry then asked, "Keyblade?! What are you-?!" The hooded figure then said, "A Keyblade is attracted to the light…Holy, the Keyblade's natural element. So if we remake the Transmutation Circle and use the light of another Keyblade, then we MIGHT be able to bring them back home!"

Pinako then asked, "So you know what this thing looked like before?" The hooded figure nodded, "Yes, I've read about it at the master's studies. For now, Armstrong, I need you to flatten the floor to make it easier for me to redraw the circle. Mrs. Rockbell, take your granddaughter and bring back some paint or oil, anything that leaves a stain, bring it here!"

Pinako nodded and said, "Come on Winry!" And the two were off. Armstrong then said to the hooded figure, "As brilliant as your plan sounds, I have to ask why you are helping us save the boys?" The hooded figure answered, "Because…Sora's a slacker."

Armstrong felt confused as the hooded figure continued, "He slacks off during the final test, he slacks off during missions that could've improved his popularity, and he even slacked off during my sparring lessons. I can't afford to slack off, so I'm always there to keep him going…I'll run him through Hell until he makes it to Heaven…and that's why I'm helping you save him along with the Elric Brothers Major, because he always needs me to save his slacking butt."

"You sound like a strong brother…and a good friend. But why do you hide your face from him if he's your friend?" Armstrong wondered. The hooded figure replied, "…there was a complication. An enemy infiltrated our home, crummy as it is, and sought to destroy it. I was used by them in the past; however, the past has a funny way of giving you immunity to past manipulation. So when the enemy tried to control me, I refused. I would wait for Sora, even if that meant fighting an entire army of Golems alone until he returns. But they had… (sigh) never mind, can we get to work already? The Rockbells will be back shortly." Armstrong nodded and flattened the ground, removing every claw mark, footstep, and crater to begin remaking the Transmutation Circle…

End of Chapter 92

* * *

**Next Chapter, A visit at Pizza Planet jeopardizes the lives of our plastic party...**

**Please Comment!**


	93. Chapter 93

**Last time, Andy's Room was attacked by the Golems, so Edward, Sora, and the others took matters into their hands and fought back! But as the battle ended, Woody accidentally knocked Buzz out of the window, making all Andy's toys see him as a jealous schemer. To keep the cowboy doll from meeting his maker, Sora, Kairi, and the Elric Brothers went down to the driveway to search for Buzz. As they did, they were caught off-guard by Andy and his mom, driving to Pizza Planet with Woody. The party held on to dear life as the van went off into the road.**

**Back in Risembool, a worried Winry searched the abandoned mines for the Elrics while Armstrong and Pinako rattled their heads on the mystery of the Transmutation Area. But just when all hope seemed lost, a hooded figure arrived and told them to redraw the Transmutation Circle in the area so they could try and reach their friends...**

**Warning: Kingdom Hearts and Fullmetal Alchemist are both licensed by Square-Enix. The secondary licenses for both franchises are Disney (Kingdom Hearts), Aniplex, Bones Inc., and Funimation (Fullmetal Alchemist). **

**PS: There will be spoilers.**

* * *

Fullmetal Kingdom: The Fanfic

Chapter 93: Welcome to Pizza Planet

The van made a small stop at a gas station, where Woody (with no one noticing him) grieves, "(sigh) how am I going to explain the truth to those guys? It was an accident!"

"Psst, Woody, are you there?"

Woody stood up and looked around, "W-who's there?!" Sora, Kairi, Edward, Alphonse and Buzz jumped down to see Woody, who was overjoyed to see Buzz alive and well. Woody then cheered, "BUZZ, YOU'RE ALIVE! THIS IS GREAT, I'M SAVED! Andy will find you in the car, he'll take you back home, and you can tell everyone that this was all just a big mistake! Right…buddy?" Buzz then said, "Even though you had intentions to terminate my life, I am inclined to tell you that revenge isn't an ideal I promote on my planet_…but we're not on my planet…__**ARE WE?**_" Woody shook his head, "Uh…no?"

At THAT instant, Buzz tackled Woody out of the car with the intention of paying back the cowboy for his actions.

Edward then heard someone coming, "GUYS, SPREAD OUT AND HIDE!" Ed led the group behind the back seat and stayed quiet. Andy then yelled, "Next stop, Pizza Planet! YEAH!" Al then said, "Brother, Woody's still outside with Buzz!" Ed and Sora sighed in disbelief, then Sora asked, "Any way we can save them?" Kairi shook her head, "Not without jumping out of the car and attracting the attention of an imaginative little boy and his mother!" Ed then said, "_'GREAT'_, so those two are lost!"

As the van drove, Edward, Sora, Kairi, and Alphonse were sitting together, waiting for them to arrive to their destination…

While waiting, Alphonse asked, "…Sora, you said earlier that we were in another world, right?" Sora nodded, "Y-yeah, I did." Al then asked, "So how do we return to our original world?" Sora answered, "…I'm not sure Al, last time I stepped on one of those Transmutation Circles; I was taken to a world infested by the Golems. I simply needed to wipe them out and…"

Sora then looked at his Keyblade…

"…that's it! I went home after sealing the Keyhole!"

Ed nodded, trying to understand, "_RIIIIIIIIIIIGHT_…what the Hell are you talking about?" Sora explained, "Donald and Goofy told me a while ago that since I was given the Keyblade, I was also given the job to protect other worlds from alien forces that didn't belong, like the Golems. I just need to defeat their leader (which was Mortimer and the Aster-Florian), and THAT will bring out the Keyhole, a large magical force of energy that can only be accessed by the Keyblade! Once that's done, we can return home to Amestris!"

Ed then asked, "Great plan, but where do we find the boss?" Sora answered, "I…I don't know, we'll have to return to Andy's House and find it."

"_Alright, we made it!_ _**PIZZA PLANET!**_"

Sora, Edward, Kairi, and Alphonse listened as Andy's mom took out the stroller and placed Andy's little baby sister in it. Andy then walked alongside his mom and left the car…

"Alright, let's see where we are!" Kairi said as she climbed up the window. She looked around and saw a building with two strange-looking knights guarding the entrance. She then noticed Andy and his family approaching the knights, as they stopped, the knights said, "YOU ARE CLEAR TO ENTER…WELCOME TO PIZZA PLANET." Then the knights pulled back their spears, and the door behind them opened for the family to enter.

Kairi dropped back down and said, "It looks like the entrance to this 'Pizza Planet' is guarded by shiny knights that glow red." Al then said, "I don't know if those were knights Kairi. In this world, everyone seems to be into these 'robots'." Kairi then asked, "What the Hell's a 'robot'?" Al explained, "A toy back at Andy's Room told me that Robots were mechanical creations that move around with advanced technology."

Kairi then asked, "Sounds pretty retro, so does anybody know what we should be doing?" Sora answered, "We won't know that until we get back to that kid's room and find whoever's controlling the Golems." Al then asked, "So…the plan is to wait here?" Sora nodded, "That's all I can think about."

While the group continued discussing the plan, Ed climbed up to the window to check out the Pizza Planet robots. As he gazed, he said, "Robots huh? Pff, those things don't seem to move well. I'm here for a day and I'm bored already!"

Ed then noticed a truck with a rocket on top pull up to the driveway and parked close by. After the driver came out, Ed noticed a small bubble-headed figure jump into the back…

"Is that…Buzz?!"

As Ed watched, Buzz pulled Woody up, and the two of them ran out of the truck. Edward immediately dropped back down and said, "Guess who made it here on the back of a truck?" Sora answered, "Anyone with money?"

(SLAP)

"WOODY AND BUZZ YOU DUMB-ASS!"

Al then opened the back of the van and said, "Well we'd better get them back before Andy's toys start planning on Woody's funeral." As he jumped out, the others followed and rushed to the truck. Unbeknown to them, Buzz and Woody already snook into Pizza Planet in a chicken nuggets package and a soft drink cup…

Kairi suddenly noticed them and said, "GUYS, LOOK OVER THERE!" The group looked and saw Woody and Buzz make it into the building. Kairi then said, "Well come on, we don't want to lose them-!" Ed then grabbed her arm and said, "We'll be losing our cover if we go commando like you! In this world, people have no idea that toys can walk and talk, so running in while revealing ourselves is what I'd call a definite 'OH-CRAP-WE-SCREWED-UP'!"

Sora noticed a few empty cups near him and suggested, "Drinks anyone?"

Minutes later, Sora, Ed, Kairi, and Al made it into Pizza Planet with their new disguises. While inside, they crept behind the arcade games and ditched the cups. Ed then said, "We'll split up into two groups to try and find Buzz and Woody. Remember, one leg out, and we'll be lab rejects."

"-Dibbs on the childhood friend!" Kairi said as she clung to Sora's arm.

Seconds later…

"YOU'RE MORE LIKE A CHILDHOOD BULLY!" Kairi said as she walked beside Ed. Ed replied, "This ISN'T a date, 'Red', we're trying to get home, and the best way to do that, is with the help of the locals, that includes the doll and the bubble-headed Power Ranger!"

As the first group walked quietly through the alleyways, the second group was busy in a discussion. "So you guys are going to Central City because of Marcoh's little message?" Sora asked. Al nodded, "Yes, we believe there will be a clue to the Philosopher Stone there. When we find his notes, maybe brother and I will finally be restored back to our original bodies." "'_Finally_' can be a VERY strong word. But knowing your brother, maybe it's possible…" Sora said as he looked around for Woody and Buzz.

Just then, Sora remembered something, "Alphonse…you know the day I was called over by Marcoh?" Al nodded, "Yes, you were missing through the entire day. Ed was worried something might've happened to you. So what happened, Sora, why did you disappear like that?" Sora answered, "…I was gonna wait until the right time to explain to you and Ed, but I guess…I guess now's a good time to tell you. Just remind me to tell Ed when this is over."

As Alphonse nodded, Sora continued, "Marcoh called me over to tell me about the Ishbal Massacre. He thought it would only be right if I knew the whole story like you guys did. But when he was finished, he gave me something…" Sora reached into his pocket, but to his surprise, he had no pocket! "Heh-heh, I guess that can wait until we change back to normal."

Just then, Al noticed two toys passing through the arcade games, "Woody and Buzz, they ARE here! Come on Sora!" Al said as he followed pursuit. As Sora followed Al, Ed and Kairi already noticed them earlier and were in hot pursuit! "The sooner we catch'em, the faster we get home!" Kairi said as she hastened after the two toys. Ed then said, "They're heading towards that kid with the baby stroller!" Kairi then asked, "You mean Andy, right?" Ed answered, "OF COARSE I MEAN ANDY! Who else would I be talking about?!" Kairi replied, "ANYONE TALLER THAN YOU, INCLUDING THE 3RD GRADE KIDS!"

"_**WHO'RE-YOU-CALLING-A-BLANKET-PEEING-DIEPER-WEARING -BUG-EYED-KID-WITH-A-CORNY-LIFE-LESSON-TOUGHT-TO-H IM-BY-FISHER-PRICE-TOYS?!**_"

(BASH)

Just then, the two groups of toys collided with one another! While Ed and Al were quick to get up, Kairi was laying on top of Sora while saying, "(sigh) If only he wasn't a stuffed animal…"

"GET OFF ME KAIRI!"

Kairi jumped off Sora, and the group looked around for Woody and Buzz…

Meanwhile, Woody was waiting for Andy's family to pass by so that he and Buzz could jump into the basket underneath Andy's baby sister, Molly…

"So Woody, does this ship have hyper-drive? I'd like to report to Star Command as soon as possible." Buzz said as he waited. Woody replied, "Uh-huh, in fact, it's got-…uh…hyper-ACTIVE-hyper-drive…and…Astro-…uh, TURF!" Buzz shook his head in confusion, "Where is it, I don't see any-…A SPACESHIP!" Buzz then ran off, leaving Woody to wait for the baby carriage to approach them. Woody then said, "OK Buzz, when I say 'GO', we jump in the basket-…BUZZ!" To the doll's shock, Buzz was nowhere to be found, so he grunted, "This can NOT be happening to me!" and with that, Woody stormed off after him…

Back with the group, Al wondered, "Where could those two be?" Ed answered, "Relax Al, I've got a gut feeling telling me they're close-GUH!" Buzz passed Ed and headed straight for a crane game with the appearance of a red rocket ship. Sora then said, "No wonder you're so 'gutsy'-!" Ed then yelled "SHADDAP 'N' RUN!" The group ran to the crane game, trying to catch up to Buzz, but it was too late, for Buzz had just jumped into the game through the hatch! "I'll go in after him!" Sora & Ed said (without noticing each other of course)

(CRASH)

And at that instant, the stuffed tiger and the wooden puppet were stuck together inside the hatch! "If you guys are gonna help, then MOVE YOUR BIG FAT ACCESSORIES UP THERE!" Woody said as he ran to them and tackled them further into the hatch! Kairi then asked, "Should we go after them?" Al replied, "Ed and Sora know what they're doing. They'll be out before you know it."

As Sora, Ed and Woody climbed up, they heard strange voices…

"A stranger-!"

"-from the outside!"

"ooooOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOoooo."

The trio climbed up and found Buzz encountering strange little green men. "Hey, let's call'em Greenies!" Sora suggested. Ed then said, "Hey, let's call you an idiot!" As Sora looked at Ed with a cross face, Buzz introduced himself to the 'Greenies', "Greetings, I am Buzz Lightyear, I come in peace! However, I am currently in need of transportation. This IS an intergalactic emergency, so I will need to commandeer your vessel to Sector 12. Can you tell me who's in charge of this ship?"

The Little Green Aliens pointed up and said, "…THE CLAW." Buzz and the party looked up and saw a claw-like crane. One of the Little Green Aliens explained to Buzz, "The Claw is our master." Another one explained, "Yes, the Claw chooses who will go, and who will stay."

"Hey bozo, ya got a brain in there?!"

Woody recognized the voice instantly and looked to see a dangerously manic looking boy walking away from a 'Whack-an-Alien' game. Woody trembled, "Oh no…SID PHILLIPS!" Woody then pounces onto Buzz to try and hide him while Sora and Ed followed in hot pursuit! Buzz then asked, "WHAT'S GOTTEN INTO YOU SHERRIF?!" Woody replied, "Hey, YOU were the one who decided to-!"

One of the Aliens shushed the two arguing toys and pointed up, "(shhh) The Claw…it moves!" As Sid looked around, he said, "One of these stupid toys'll make Skud one happy-WH-WHAT THE-?! No way, it's a Buzz Lightyear!" Sora then said, "Oh crap! Guys, we have to go, NOW!" Woody then pushed through a bunch of Aliens and found a locked hatch. Woody then said, "Guys, whatever you do, DON'T let go of Buzz! I'm gonna try and get us out of here!"

The Claw came down upon Buzz and grabbed him by the bubble-helmet! Sora and Ed pulled Buzz's legs to keep Sid from getting him. As Sid angrily yelled, Woody successfully opened the hatch and helped Sora and Edward with pulling Buzz out. But suddenly-!

"HE HAS BEEN CHOSEN!"

"HE MUST GO!"

"CHOSEN BY THE CLAW!"

The Little Green Aliens pulled Sora, Woody, and Edward away from the exit and allowed Sid to pull them up! When Sid saw the Claw pull four toys out, he smiled, "ALL RIGHT, QUADRUPLE PRIZES!" As the toys came through the hatch, Sid took them and chuckled, "Let's go home and…'play' (evil chuckle)."

Sid placed the toys into his backpack and walked away, and was watched by Alphonse and Kairi, who could barely believe what just happened! Just then, Kairi noticed Molly's carriage was nearby, so she grabbed Al by the arm and the two jumped in! Al then asked, "W-what do we tell Andy's Toys?" Kairi answered, "We'll tell them the truth. Woody and Buzz were taken prisoner by an 'ugo', and we need to find the one who commands the Golems."

Kairi then smiled and said, "Knowing your brother, I'm sure he'll think of a way to get back to Andy's House. As soon as they return, we'll beat the Golem leader, have Sora seal the Keyhole, and the 4 of us will be home in minutes! Now when we get into the car, we'll hide in the back until we're back at Andy's House." Al nodded, and the two waited for Andy to exit Pizza Planet…

End of Chapter 93

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**Next Chapter, Sora, Edward, and the toy rivals are taken to Sid's, where unspeakable horrors are witnessed...**

**Please Comment!**


	94. Chapter 94

**Last time, an accusing Buzz tackled Woody out of the van while Sora, Edward, Kairi and Alphonse were stuck in it while Andy's mom drove her son to Pizza Planet, a futuristic restaurant with arcade, slushies, and excitement galore. After discussing the Keyhole and it's power to send them home, the heroes notice Woody & Buzz walking into Pizza Planet.**

**Sora, Ed and the others followed the two lost toys into Pizza Planet and split into two groups to look for them. While Edward and Kairi had difficulties seeing eye to eye, Sora and Alphonse discussed their destination to Central City, hoping to find Marcoh's Notes on the Philosopher Stone. Sora also told Al about his last meeting with the Crystal Alchemist and something he gave the Keybearer, unfortunately, his normal body possessed Marcoh's gift while his toy body had nothing to show.**

**Eventually, the heroes locate Woody & Buzz, who went into a crane game! Sora and Edward followed them inside, but to their shock, a disturbed and sinister child by the name of Sid, took Buzz, Woody, Sora and Edward away! With no other options, Alphonse and Kairi hitched a ride in Andy's baby sister Molly's carriage...**

**Warning: Kingdom Hearts and Fullmetal Alchemist are both licensed by Square-Enix. The secondary licenses for both franchises are Disney (Kingdom Hearts), Aniplex, Bones Inc., and Funimation (Fullmetal Alchemist). **

**PS: There will be spoilers.**

* * *

Fullmetal Kingdom: The Fanfic

Chapter 94: Voodoo Do Riku?

Buzz looked from the inside of Sid's backpack and reported, "Sheriff, I can see your dorm from here, you're almost home!" Sora cheered, "YES, and when we get back, we'll find out what's been causing the Golems to appear!" Al then said, "And then we'll be on our way-!" Just then, Woody snapped and said, "W-WOULD YOU BE QUIET?! You guys don't get it, do you? Once we go into Sid's House, we won't be coming out!"

The group watches as Cid enters his house and is approached by a ferocious-looking dog. "Hey Skud, you're ready for another one? OK, OK, here' I'll grab one of my new toys for you to snack on (chuckle)!" Woody then said, "**OH**** GOODY**, this is the part where ONE of us dies. I DID say _we wouldn't be coming out_, but did you listen? NO!" Ed quickly covered Woody's mouth, and said, "Shut up 'Woodstock', I see someone coming towards him!"

"Seriously Sid, what's wrong with you?"

Sid grunted, "SHUT UP HANNAH! I'll do what I want, WHEN I want! And I don't need a stinking brat telling me otherwise!" Hannah shook her head and said, "(sigh) You're hopeless Sid. Mom just wanted me to tell you to get ready for dinner." Sid angrily stomped up stairs to his room and said, "I'll come down after I put my backpack away!"

A few minutes later, Sid arrived in his room, where he tossed his backpack on his bed and left for dinner, leaving the unfortunate toys alone…

Woody, Buzz, and the others got out of the backpack and looked around them, seeing pieces of toys on the ground, grotesque posters of death and nightmarish monsters, a doll squished in a toaster, and a lava lamp with action figure bits inside…

Woody trembled, "(gulp) We are gonna die_**! I'M OUT**__**TA HERE!**_" Sora chased after Woody and caught him, "Quit acting like a baby! Your home is right around the corner, and here you are, thinking 'it's over' already! We've just got to get something to help us reach Andy's House!" Ed then said, "Either that or I can build something from the ground up."

Sora shook his head and said, "You sure we should do that to Sid's floor? He might go ballistic-." Ed then said, "-and think the toys did it? Hello Scarecrow, where's your brain?! The psycho sees toys just as harmless as the goody-two-shoes kid next door, we'll be in the clear!"

It took a while, but the bodyguard nodded, "…you're right, SCREW SID! Let's get the Hell outta here!"

Ed clapped his hands and formed a long bridge from the ground. Ed then asked, "Sora, Buzz, Woody, help me get this thing over to the window!"

(creak)

The group was startled for a second, so Woody wondered, "…Uh…w-was I the only one who heard that?" Ed shook his head and said, "It's probably the floor; loose wood and all that."

(CREAK)

"Alright, I'm tired of guessing!" Woody said as he grabbed a flashlight, which he turned on and pointed under the bed…

Sora then said, "L-look, can we just hurry up and get this over to the window?" Ed nodded, "I'm all for that! LET'S HURRY UP!" Buzz jumped down from the bed to help Sora and Ed take the bridge over to Sid's window and called out, "Sherriff, come on! Whatever's out there isn't worth looking for, so if you want to return to your home, than help us out-!"

"Aw, guys, it's just a li'l baby!"

"WHAT?!"

Sora and Buzz dropped the bridge (on Ed's feet) and rushed to see the 'baby'. Sora and Buzz peeked and gazed at the side of an innocent looking baby doll's face. Woody then asked, "Hi there li'l fella, come outta there. Do you know a way out of here?"

(creak, creak)

"Uh…Woody…isn't a baby supposed to have…_**two eyes?**_"

(**CREAK**)

The thing the group believed to be a one-eyed baby doll suddenly rose higher than them, and that was when the group noticed it's legs were metallic spider-like legs!

"OK, now it's a tarantula." Sora said.

Just then, the mutant toy charged at them!

"IT'S GONNA EAT US, RUUUUUUUUUUUUN!"

Sora, Woody, and Buzz headed for Ed, who also noticed the Baby-Faced mutant toy, and yelled, "Guys, get behind me, I'll transmute a cannon and blow that thing to Hell!" Ed clapped his hands, and was about to touch the ground, when the mutant toy tackled all four of them!

(FA-VOOOM)

To the group's surprise, a large amount of flame shot where they were standing!

As the group wondered what happened, Sora noticed the Baby-Faced mutant toy run away. Sora wondered, _The toy attacked us, right? So why isn't he finishing us off?_

"Damn, all I wanted was to have a 'roast', and 'Baby-Face' got in the way!"

"R-Riku?!"

Sora's guess was correct as the replica emerged from under the bed. Ed then said, "Correction, the Riku Clone from Risembool!" The Replica smiled and said, "I'm disappointed Sora, looking at you and your friends now, I'd say the Transmutation made my job easier and changed you into fragile freak-shows. I could pull Ed's strings and choke you with them, or, maybe I'll just pull you apart and kick the 'stuffing' out of you!"

Ed transmuted a spear and said, "Just because our appearances are different doesn't mean we can't win, 'Voodoo-Dick'!" the Replica laughed, "Obviously, I don't stand a chance! But what's this? You're missing a few friends! I guess your little brother got sick of your promises and left you. That might also explain why your new red-head girlfriend isn't here, she liked the more rebellious actions of the tin can, so she left with him to start a new life, A BETTER LIFE!"

"…I'm sorry Riku."

The Replica twitched when Sora spoke to him and used the name 'Riku'.

Sora then dropped the Avenger and said to him, "I'm sorry that I hurt you and Namine. The last thing I would ever want is to hurt my friends. You've been after me because Namine keeps talking about me, right? Please Riku, tell me the truth."

Enraged by Sora, the Replica answered, "…talk about you? SHE WORSHIPS YOU! Every day, I hear about all your adventures, your experiences, I even heard about your erased memories! Namine knows EVERYTHING about you, but she never talks to me about how I feel, who I would want to be with! So when you give me the stupid 'sad puppy' look, it reminds me about her seclusion, how I'll NEVER save her, how it just HAS to be her damn knight in shining armor, YOU, MR. KEYBLADE!"

Sora then asked, "But I can't be there for her…I know that. I have other responsibilities, other friends to look after, even friends to look for. I remember Namine, I remember how important she was to me, how I would do anything to see her again, but the truth is my leash is already around my neck! I have to guard the Elrics for the military, I have to find the other Y. O. U. T. H. Orphans and save them before anyone drops a Slave Crown on them, I have to find the president from a faraway country for Donald and Goofy, I CAN'T ABANDON MY RESPONSIBILITIES, DON'T YOU SEE RIKU, _**I'M THE ONLY ONE WHO CAN SAVE ROSE AND-!**_"

…

"…and as long as you have her, I can't just give up…not for anything…and not…for anyone."

Ed patted Sora on the shoulder and said, "Now you have a better grasp of what you can and can't do. You know you can see Namine again, but first things first, right? You have to be responsible and deal with the problems you have right now, right Woody?" Woody looked at Ed with an unsure expression and replied, "…I-I don't know what you're talking about…"

Sora smiled and nodded at Ed, he then looks at the Riku Replica and announces, "You've been with her longer than me Riku, you deserve a chance to build a friendship. It's because you don't believe in yourself, that's why you're attacking me! But YOU'RE the real knight Riku, YOU can take that sword of yours and fight your way through, and you can carry her away from the REAL enemy, Xehanort! I doubt you're listening, but I believe in you, and the strength of your heart! **SO I WANT YOU TO FIGHT ME RIKU, **_**FIGHT ME WITH THE FEELINGS YOU HAVE FOR NAMINE!**_"

"?!"

The room was silent for a few moments until…

"You…you think you can say things to me…and expect me…**TO BE GRATEFUL?!**"

The Replica's Keyblade started to surge with flame and electricity!

"_**SORA, HE'S GOT A KEYBLADE!**_"

No sooner did Ed warn Sora, that 'Riku's' new Keyblade unleashed a massive shockwave at Sora!

Back at Andy's House, the van drove back in the parking area. And as Andy's Mom came out, Andy asked, "Mom, have you seen Woody?" his mom answered, "No Andy, where'd you last see him?" Andy replied, "He was right here in the van!" Andy's Mom then said, "I'm sure he's in there somewhere, you're just not looking hard enough." Andy shook his head and said, "He's not here mom, Woody's gone!"

As Andy whined, his toys listened through the window. Ham shook his head and said, "Meh, wouldn't y'know it, the weasel ran away." Mr. Potato Head then said, "Yeah, I told ya he was guilty!" Bo shook her head and said to Slink, "Oh Slink…I hope he's OK…"

While Andy and his mother walked into the house, Kairi and Alphonse quietly came out of the van. Kairi then said, "Let's get back up to Andy's Room, we'll rest up and tell everyone about Woody and Buzz. After that, we'll begin searching for the Golem Leader." Al nodded and followed Kairi to where the Monkey Ladder was…

(KRA-KA-KOOM)

To Kairi and Al's shock, a massive explosion was heard from a house next to Andy's!

Al then noticed something hanging from the window…

"KAIRI, IT'S THEM! IT'S EDWARD AND SORA!"

Kairi gasped as she saw Edward holding on the ledge while gasping Sora's hand. Ed then yelled, "THIS ISN'T THE TIME FOR A DRAMATIC COMA SORA, WAKE UP OR THAT IMPOSTER'S GONNA FRY US!"

The Riku Replica came up to Ed and said, "Death comes in all pain and pleasure, but there's no way I'd simply set you aflame while you hang for your life. The best way to kill you would be to listen to your screams while I chop of every last one of your fingers. With every loss, you get closer to meeting your maker."

The Replica rose his Keyblade, preparing to attack, when suddenly-!

(BANG)

The Replica looked at his chest and noticed a bullet wound. He looked down to Andy's driveway and saw Kairi, who lowered her gun and watched as the Replica rocked back and forth, until he fell over Ed, and plummeted to the ground…

Kairi then called to Ed, "**WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FO****R 'PINOCCHIO'?! PULL HIM UP!**"

Ed yelled back, "I'd love to 'doll-face', **BUT I DON'T HAVE THE STRENGTH OF 20 GIRLS!**"

"Oh, 'Mr. Oak-4-Brains' thinks he can make fun of me, _**WELL LET ME TELL YOU SOMETHING, LOG-BUTT-!**_"

"_**-NO, HOW ABOUT I TELL YOU SOMETHING, **__**'PIGGY-SU', WHEN YOU'RE COUNTING ON SOMEONE TO SAVE YOUR EASY-BREAK-BUTT, DON'T EXPECT THE SAVIOR TO DO THE WORK OF A GOD, LIMITS EXIST WHETHER YOU BELIEVE IT OR NOT!**_"

Suddenly, Buzz came to Ed and grabbed his arm, "Hang on, 'wooden-boy', I'll pull you up!" As Buzz helped Ed and Sora, Ed looked at Al and said, "Alphonse, we'll find a way over to the house, just be patient and leave that window open!" Al nodded and said, "Stay safe guys!" Ed and Buzz gave Al a 'thumbs-up' and went back into Sid's Room…

End of Chapter 94

* * *

**Next Chapter, dangers & revelations await as our heroes attempt an escape from Sid's House...**

**Please Comment!**


	95. Chapter 95

**Last time, a destructive young boy named Sid abducted Sora, Edward, Woody and Buzz and took them to his house, where in his room, the heroes were attacked by the Riku Replica, who still intended on killing Namine's savior, Sora. However, the Keybearer wasn't willing to fight him, saying that HE should save Namine if he cared for her. Infuriated by Sora's passionate nature, 'Riku' unleashed the new Keyblade that Crimson gave him and sent Sora flying towards Sid's window...**

**Back at Andy's house, Kairi and Alphonse returned via the van when they saw Edward and Sora at the Replica's mercy! Not taking any chances, Kairi shot the Replica and sent him hurdling down from the window! As soon as their friends went back inside the window, Kairi and Al began planning on how to reach them...**

**Warning: Kingdom Hearts and Fullmetal Alchemist are both licensed by Square-Enix. The secondary licenses for both franchises are Disney (Kingdom Hearts), Aniplex, Bones Inc., and Funimation (Fullmetal Alchemist). **

**PS: There will be spoilers.**

* * *

Fullmetal Kingdom: The Fanfic

Chapter 95: Escape from Sid's House

At the Rockbell House, Winry was sleeping like a log on the couch. Her plan was simple; to greet Ed's returning presence with a barrage of whacks from her trusty wrench.

"(snore)…running away, huh? (snore)…don't run…please…(snore)…w-w-_**WHY ARE YOU RUNNING AWAY**_-huh?!" Winry woke up and saw the sun rise from the mountains. She thought to herself, _Edward, it's been 2 d__ays. Where are you and Al?_ "(YAWN)"

(KNOCK-KNOCK)

"Y-Yes, is that you major? Is Edward back already?!" Winry asked as she opened the door. To her disappointment, it was neither Armstrong nor Edward, but the hooded man who offered them assistance. Winry grunted, "Whaddya want, 'hoodie'?" The hooded figure answered, "HOODIE?! (ahem) The Transmutation Circle has just been completed. I wanted to tell you that I'll be going after Sora and the Elrics soon." Winry rubbed her eyes and said, "It's about time, and here I thought you were acting like the 'hero' type just to impress me."

"W-WHERE ARE YOU GETTING THESE ACCUSATIONS FROM?!"

"From us 'hoodie'!" Chip said as he popped behind Winry's hair. "Yeah Chipper, that sure was funny! (goofy laugh)" Dale followed. "Shouldn't you two be finishing the leg Calvin ordered?! And get off my granddaughter!" Pinako said as she walked down the stairs. As the chipmunks hopped off Winry's shoulders and back into the next room, Pinako looked at the hooded man and asked, "So you're going to rescue the Elrics, may I ask why?" The hooded man replied, "Mainly because I know their bodyguard. He'll need someone to help him and the Elrics get back home, and that someone is, sadly, me." Winry questioned the hooded man's words, "You don't seem pleased by this." The hooded man explained, "It's not that I hate him, he just needs help once and a while. But look, there's something else, Armstrong alone won't be enough to pull me back, so I'll need your help."

"W-WHAT?!"

Back in Sid's House…

"Oh, looks like a survivor's trying to get away! Where's the rebel base?! TALK!"

Sid grabbed a magnifying glass, sat down before the sunlight from his window, and points the glass at Woody. The magnifying glass started to increase the heat from the sunlight and burn a hole on Woody's forehead. As he watched, Sid sneered, "Where are your rebel friends now, eh?" Just then, Sid smelled something, "(sniff-sniff) Wait…pop tarts? ALRIGHT!" Sid immediately rushed out of his room to eat his breakfast, leaving the toys alone…

"_**DAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAGH!**_"

Woody screamed in agony, so Sora came out and used a Blizzard spell to neutralize the pain. Now that the wound was cooled off, Woody sat down in distress, wondering what was going to become of them.

Meanwhile, Edward was helping Buzz with removing some small sticky-darts from the space ranger's suit. Buzz looked at Woody and said, "Sheriff, I know that was a painful experience, but I'm proud of you. A lesser man would've talked after such torture."

Woody then noticed something…

"The door…g-guys, it's open! We're free to escape!"

Woody rushed and pulled the door further, opening the pathway to freedom! Ed yelled, "Woody wait, we don't even know what's out there!" Woody bragged, "Says 'Happy-Meal' Pinocchio! I'm not waiting for Sid to give me a tat, so who's with me?!"

Sora thought for a moment and said, "(sigh) Alright Woody, we're coming, just don't get too excited and-." To the group's surprise, Woody was already gone. "…leave us."

Back in Andy's house, Kairi was working on a bridge made out of rulers, pencils, and other accessories. Kairi tore out another piece of tape and said to herself, "That short punk had better be grateful when I arrive to save his hide! Making a bridge like this is tiring enough!" Al approached her and asked, "Hey Kairi, do you need any help?" Kairi replied, "Sure, would you mind bringing over that board game and the doodle-pad? I don't think the bridge is long enough for us to reach the psycho's house." Alphonse nodded and grabbed the doodle pad until-.

(PLOP)

A dinosaur toy dropped down and roared at Al. "YIKES, A MONSTER!" The dinosaur stopped roaring and started crying, "(sniff-sniff) I-I'm not a monster, (sniff-sniff)_ I'm a scary dinosaur! __**Why does everybody judge me for what I do?! **__**WAAAAAAH-HA-HA-HA-HAAAAAAAAAGH!**_" Al tried to calm the toy down, "Hey, hey, I'm sorry (I think). Just stop crying, please!" The dinosaur nodded and stopped. The dinosaur then wondered, "…So are you one of those new toys that came with Woody to Pizza Planet?" Al nodded, "Yep, we were." The dinosaur then said, "WOW, so what's it like huh? Tell me, tell me, tell me, oh please?" Al answered, "Well…it's unlike anything I've seen before. There were tons of electronic things that dispensed drinks, and there were even games that included metal claws." The dinosaur cheered in joy, "Heh-heh, WOW, my mind is literally blown! So did Woody have fun there to?"

Al explained, "Well actually, Woody was trying to get Buzz back to Andy's House, but under strange circumstances, they were taken by Sid-." The dinosaur screamed, "NOT SID, HE'S A MONSTER!" Kairi then yelled, "Al, what's taking you so long?! Stop talking to the comic relief and get those things I requested over here and pronto!" Al nodded, "OK Kairi, I'm coming!"

The dinosaur followed Al to Kairi and introduced himself, "So your names are Kairi and Al? It's a pleasure to meet you guys-I-I MEAN GUY AND GIRL! (ahem) Anyway, I'm Rex." Al shook Rex's hand, and Kairi just slapped a piece of tape on Rex's hand. Rex went on to asking, "So…are you on your way to save Woody to?" Kairi replied, "If he doesn't make a sissy remark about us being toys, then yes." Rex then asked, "Well if you find him, could you ask him why he pushed Buzz out of the window? I fail to see the reason Woody would commit such an atrocity."

"He probably didn't mean to. If he was going to get rid of Buzz, then why try to bring him back here at all?" Al asked. Kairi smiled, "When Al speaks his mind; he speaks from his heart! Woody has as much care in his heart for Buzz as much as he has for you guys. But…that's just me talking. Alright, the bridge is finished and prepped for crossing!"

Kairi stepped back to show Al and Rex her bridge. The gunslinger then said, "Alphonse, you carry the bridge from the front, I'll take the backside and offer the extra muscle!" Al nodded and went to the other side, but when he grabbed a hold of it, parts of the tape and pieces started tearing off! So Al placed the Bridge down and said, "Kairi, before we do this, I'll need to make the finishing touches!" Kairi wondered, "Finishing touches?! What are you talking about? The bridge is ready for us-!" Al shook his head, "I'm sorry Kairi, but it's not. The tape, rulers, cardboard, everything's coming apart like a mess. So for a strong bridge, we'll need to mix these things in a different way."

Al then pulled out a piece of chalk and drew a Transmutation Circle. As Kairi watched, her friend clapped his hands and activated the alchemy. Kairi's bridge started coming together, melding and fusing with every last bit of itself, until, to Kairi's surprise, a long and sturdy bridge was made! "So, I take the front and you take the rear?" Al asked as he picked up the front of the bridge. Kairi nodded and picked the back of the bridge up, "Let's go Al."

Back in Sid's House, Woody was backing away from Sid's dog, Skud, who the doll was almost going to bump into while attempting to escape…

As Woody came back to the 2nd floor hallway, Buzz swiftly grabbed him and pulled him to a corner. There, Sora and Edward were looking at him while crossing their arms in disgust. Buzz then followed up by pointing angrily at Woody and whispering, "Try another stunt like that 'cowboy' and you'll get us killed!"

Buzz looked around and ran to one of the rail bars. While keeping himself from Skud's sight, Buzz waved, telling the others that it's safe to cross. As Sora ran to Buzz, Woody scowled, "Who does that moron think he is, telling me what to do?! Treating me like I'm some kind of-!" Ed covered Woody's mouth and said, "Think of it this way 'Oaky', Buzz's training in being a ranger could be helpful in getting you out! And if we CAN'T get out, well then if the dog doesn't kill you, _**WE WILL!**_"

Ed then ran to Buzz's side with Sora, leaving a frightened Woody behind. Woody took a deep breath and crawled to the others, keeping him out of Skud's sight. Luckily for the cowboy, Skud was still sleeping, so Woody got back up and followed the group…

"YEE-HAW! Giddy-up pardner, we gotta git this wagon train a-mov'n!"

Woody's pull-string was pulled by a part of the railing, thus waking up Skud!

"Split up!" Buzz said as he hid inside a room! Ed followed and headed in with the space ranger while Sora and Woody hid inside a closet!

Skud came up the stairs and sniffed around the area, looking for his next chew toy. And the dog's nose led him into Buzz and Edward's hiding place! But luckily for them, Skud couldn't trace their scent, which was cleverly hidden inside a bucket of cheesy puffs. So Skud left the room, prompting Ed and Buzz to pop out of the bowl and head out.

"Calling Buzz Lightyear, come in Buzz Lightyear!"

Just then, the television started playing a commercial that caught Buzz's attention!

"Buzz Lightyear, THIS IS STAR COMMAND!"

"S-Star Command?! Excellent, they can help us out!" Buzz said as he pulled open his wrist communicator. Edward was unsure of what television was, but he had a strange feeling about the televised program. As Buzz was ready to report, he heard someone else speak before him!

"Buzz Lightyear responding, read you loud and clear!"

"Buzz Lightyear, the galaxy needs your help!"

"**BUZZ LIGHTYEAR, THE WORLD'S GREATEST SUPERHERO IS NOW THE WORLD'S GREATEST **_**TOY!**_"

"Buzz has it all, including a wrist communicator, pulsating space laser, karate-chop action, voice simulator, and best of all, HIGH PRESSURE SPACE WINGS!"

"**Warning: Not a flying toy.**"

Buzz stood dumbstruck as the painful truth was revealed…

"Uh, Buzz, maybe we should regroup with the others?"

Buzz couldn't listen to Ed's suggestion; instead, he wandered out of the room…

"Are you OK Buzz? Buzz? Damn it Buzz, talk to me!" Ed tried to get Buzz to snap out of his depression, but the space ranger didn't even notice him. Buzz just looked out from the railing at the window…

"Have I been living a lie?"

Ed tried to comfort Buzz, "…I can't answer that for you Buzz, you are what you are, and nothing will change that. But we still need to get out of here, so let's just forget it and alert Sora and Woody." Ed walked away and headed towards the closet. He knocked and whispered, "Skud's gone, you can get out now!" Sora and Woody walked out of the closet, but as they did, Sora noticed Buzz climbing the railing…

"ED, WHAT'S BUZZ DOING?!"

Ed turned around and was shocked to see Buzz standing on top of the rails with his wings out of his back. Woody yelled, "Buzz, get down from there before you get hurt! Buzz? Hey, Buzz! ARE YOU EVEN LISTENING TO ME?!" Buzz replied, "If I wanted to listen, I'd feel even worse. I remember my training, my battles, the Sector 6 counter attack against Zurg, and now, I'm being called a toy. But I'm not; I'm much more than that! I am…BUZZ LIGHTYEAR OF STAR COMMAND! And I'll prove it by flying a second time!"

"You didn't fly Buzz, you went through random toys without even noticing them! You were carried by cars and planes, and you're telling me that you still believe you can fly out of a window?! One move, and you'll be on the ground, sans an arm and leg!" Woody yelled.

But Buzz wouldn't listen…

"_**TO INFINITY AND BEYOND!**_"

Instead, he jumped off the rail towards the window! Buzz was confident that he would fly, but then, he noticed gravity doing it's job…

He was falling down…

"HANG ON BUZZ!"

Buzz was quickly grabbed by Sora, who grabbed his hand, and was pulled up by Ed and Woody.

As the team was finished pulling Buzz back up, the space ranger sat down, motionless, he now realized who he really was, and it tore him apart.

Woody sighed, "…look Buzz, you can sit there and pout all you want, but we still need your help to get out of here. Please Buzz; we need you to get up."

(thump-**thump**_**-THUMP**_)

Ed then noticed someone coming up the stairs, "And get up fast, Sid's on his way!"

End of Chapter 95

* * *

**Next Chapter, Armstrong makes preparations to bring the Elrics, Sora, and Kairi back while Buzz struggles with the truth of his identity...**

**Please Comment!**


	96. Chapter 96

**Last time, a single day at Sid's house gave Woody enough reason to recklessly escape! Followed by Sora, Edward, and Buzz, the cowboy doll left the room and avoided being caught by Skud, Sid's dog! Inside a television room, Buzz saw a commercial advertising a Buzz Lightyear action figure, and revealing Buzz's true identity, as a fictional character and a flightless action figure! Saddened by the truth, Buzz tried convincing himself not to believe it by jumping off the railing of Sid's stairway and flying towards an open window, but instead of flying, he plummeted down. Fortunately, his friends grabbed him before he fell and pulled him back up. But the damage has already been done, as Buzz sat down, motionless while Sid was coming back up stairs...  
**

**Warning: Kingdom Hearts and Fullmetal Alchemist are both licensed by Square-Enix. The secondary licenses for both franchises are Disney (Kingdom Hearts), Aniplex, Bones Inc., and Funimation (Fullmetal Alchemist). **

**PS: There will be spoilers.**

* * *

Fullmetal Kingdom: The Fanfic

Chapter 96: Unable to Fly

A few hours ago in the mines, Armstrong and the hooded figure were just about finished remaking the Transmutation Circle when suddenly, Braig came before them! "Major Alex Louis Armstrong, the Strong-Arm Alchemist. Why is one of Bradley's elite here painting like a child?" Braig asked. Armstrong stood up and recognized the one-eyed gunner, "Aren't you Xehanort's bodyguard? What are you doing in Risembool?" Braig answered, "I'm just looking for Terranzis Xehanort, you might know him as the guy who set this whole place up for the kiddies."

The hooded figure then guessed, "So you're here to finish the job your boss failed to finish?" Braig shook his head, "'Failed'? As if! I had my suspicions since the day he left our teacher. He was scheming something big, REAL big, so I tagged along him and Ansem's other apprentices. One day, my curiosity rewarded me when I found Xehanort's office open and ready for searching! After slapping away a few notes and photos regarding the hearts, I found this."

Braig pulled a folder out and threw it to Armstrong. Armstrong opened the folder and searched through it, seeing many reports based on the heart and how to manipulate it. But then, the major noticed a small report on a child…from Y. O. U. T. H.! As Armstrong continued looking through, he saw more reports on other Y O. U. T. H. orphans!

The hooded figure asked, "What is it major?" Armstrong replied, "Xehanort's notes on the heart, and how to control it. But after the notes, there are reports on children…children from the same orphanage Sora came from!" The hooded figure knew the orphanage too well, so he looked at Braig and asked, "Why are there reports on Y. O. U. T. H. Assassins in Xehanort's folder?" Braig answered, "Consider what you know about 'Mr. Shiny-head'. He made it clear in his little honorary party about his studies of the heart, and how to control it. And did you suspect an ulterior motive behind that Ishbalin grin of his? _**As if!**_ Well in case you preschoolers haven't figured it out yet, Xehanort's been experimenting with the assassins to make them more responsive to his orders!"

"He's making an army of slaves out of children?!" Armstrong asked, Braig replied, "Well earlier, he was adopting them for his experiments, which is why most of them seemed a little-what's the word? Oh yeah, '**Heartless**'! After sending them back to their orphanage, he waited for the right moment to return and destroy the Orphanage. The best way he could do that was to give one of his projects the hypnotic code-words he placed on him and the others. And when the orphans were scattered across the continent, they were easy pickings for Xehanort. With his toys back in his little toy-box, Xehanort continued his experiments on them and turned them into his obedient servants. So YEAH, he made them into his slaves, or in a more logical sense, an ARMY of slaves."

The hooded figure turned to Armstrong and asked, "May I see the folder? I might know these assassins." The major handed the folder over to him, and after flipping a few pages, the figure nodded and said, "A few of them were seen in the southern part of Amestris, and I noticed some of them wearing rings around their heads. I remember a similar headband like that with the power to force the mind to follow any command given to it; it was called a Slave Crown."

Armstrong rubbed his chin in curiosity, "A Slave Crown? So Xehanort has already found and taken control of the experimented assassins. He must have sent each one to carry out an assassination attempt on random individuals of high class."

The hooded figure then said, "Not all of them major. The ones I've seen wearing Slave Crowns were warriors and killers trained in the greatest arts known in Y. O. U. T. H., but the orphans in the folder, some of them are beginners, hardly a threat to a class like mine. But there is something these assassins have in common…they're all in perfect health!"

Armstrong then pondered, "So the assassins in the reports must hold a greater importance to Xehanort than the ones wearing Slave Crowns! The question is…what importance do they possess?" Braig answered, "Ya got me, but in the meantime, I'll be exploring the mines. There's a chance Xehanort's still around here." Braig turned around and headed out of the cave, but before he left, Armstrong said, "As soon as you're finished, report back to me!"

Braig nodded, but as he walked away, he smiled, "…as if…I'm sure you've noticed by now kid, now what will you do?"

Back in the current time, Winry and Pinako were back in the cave where Armstrong was finished tying a rope to a nearby stone. He pulled on it to make sure it was secure, and when he noticed Winry and Pinako, he reported, "Mrs. Rockbell, everything is in place! As soon as I activate the Transmutation Circle, this young man here will find and retrieve the Elrics and their bodyguard."

Winry then asked, "Well that's good news, but what's with the rope?" The hooded figure answered, "It's for me. When the rope is tied around me, I'll need the 3 of you to grip it and wait for me to tug on it 4 times. When I tug, that means I've found them, alright?" Winry nodded, "Sure thing…but I'm coming with you!" The hooded figure was startled, so he said, "Negative, you'd be safer here with your grandmother and the major!" Winry argued, "_**Counter negative!**_ How do I know I can trust you to save them?! Ever since you popped by, you gave us orders and instructions, without even a sign that we could trust you! If you REALLY want to save them, then prove it! Tell me who you are, or better yet, remove that hood and tell me who you are!"

"And risk exposure?! NO MAM! I can't show you-!"

"THEN WE CAN'T TRUST YOU!"

"…Alright, you want my trust, HERE IT IS! I'm like Sora; I'm from the same place that trains children to be monsters! I'm from-!"

Pinako then said, "Don't look now 'hoodie', but you dropped your folder."

The hooded figure dropped down and tried to get all the files and reports back in the folder. Winry then noticed a report near her foot, so she bent down and grabbed it. On the report, there was a Y. O. U. T. H. orphan with the name 'Riku' with white hair and cerulean eyes.

"Give me that, it's important!" The hooded figure said as he snatched it away. But Winry's eyes caught a glimpse at the figure's hair showing out of his hood. The figure looked at her and asked, "What is it lady?" Winry looked at the figure, face-to-face, and saw a glimmer of cerulean…

"…are you…Riku?"

The hooded figure remained silent and stood back up. He offered his hand to Winry to help her back up. As she stood up, the hooded figure gave the folder to Armstrong, "Give this to Mustang, he's trustworthy." Armstrong nodded and placed it in his coat. The hooded figure then went to tying the rope around his waist.

"H-here, I'll help." Winry said as she walked towards him.

Meanwhile, back in Sid's House, Woody opened the door to Sid's Room and said, "Quick, we gotta hide!" As Woody hid, Sora and Ed carried a grief-stricken Buzz into the room and hid in different places. And then, Sid burst through the door, happily laughing while opening a package. After opening it, he pulled out a large red rocket and read, "Let's see, 'The Big One; Extremely dangerous, keep out of reach of children'. COOL!"

Sid sat on his bed and wondered, "Alright, what am I gonna blow? Hmm…HEY, I KNOW, THE COWBOY DOLL!" Sid looked around his room, but he couldn't see Woody at all. Sid then decided to search around the room by foot, so he stood up and searched, "He-he, where are you, 'Sherriff'? The 4th of July's coming earlier today, y'don't wanna miss-!"

(click)

(beep-beep)

Sid then noticed his foot stepping on Buzz's wing!

"Yes…**I'VE ALWAYS WANTED TO SEND A 'SPACEMAN' INTO ORBIT!**"

The maniacal child grabbed the action figure and a roll of tape out of a toolbox, which he placed on top of the box that Woody was under, and as Woody watched, Buzz was placed on the desk with the Big One taped to his back! Woody was horrified, and thought, _B-BUZZ, WHY DIDN'T YOU HIDE?! DO YOU WANT SID __TO TRASH YOU?!_

In Andy's Room, Alphonse and Kairi finally made it up to the desk with their bridge. "Alright Al, open her up!" Al nodded and raised the window open. The two then pushed their bridge towards Sid's House, and were both amazed at how long it was!

"If only Lust could see me now!" Kairi said to herself.

"What was that?" Al asked, Kairi answered, "N-NOTHING AL, nothing!"

Just then, large raindrops were coming down from the sky! And parts of the bridge were starting to get moldy! As Kairi noticed, she yelled, "Pull the bridge back, QUICKLY!" The two pulled their bridge back as fast as they could, and after the bridge was back inside, Al closed the window! Al looked at the outside and said, "Those clouds look pretty dark Kairi, I don't think we'll be able to reach them today!" Kairi pouted, "Now what do we do?! That Sid kid'll tear them apart!

(_**KRAKA-THOOM**_)

Back in Sid's Room, Sid and Woody then noticed a storm occurring outside. Sid grumbled, "AW MAN! I just prepped the dumb thing!" Woody sighed in relief as his friend remained safe…

But Sid was quick to smile, as an idea came to his head! He then took out an alarm clock and prepped it to wake him in the next day! Sid sneered, "Sid Phillips reporting, launch of the shuttle has been delayed by adverse weather conditions! Tomorrow's forecast: SUNNY! (giggle) Sweet dreams 'Mister Lightyear'!"

In Andy's Room, Andy was in bed, ready to sleep until the next day, when he and his mother would leave the house. As the boy slept, Kairi peeked out of the closet and at the window, "Damn it…how will I get to him now?" Al answered, "Just wait until tomorrow Kairi; I'm sure we'll get to them before it's too late. For now, just stay with the bridge, we need it to reach Sid's house after all." The gunslinger nodded and headed back into the closet.

Bo Peep looked at Andy as he held on to the cowboy hat he wore whenever he played with Woody and said, "…oh Woody…if only you could see how much Andy misses you."

Back in Sid's Room, Sid was fast asleep, snoring like crazy as Sora and Edward crept out of their hiding places to get to Woody. Sora climbed on top of Woody's box and tried pushing the toolbox off, but his stuffed animal form lacks the necessary strength to push the toolbox. Ed climbed up to help, but to his dismay, one of the strings connected to him were caught on the drawer knob of the desk!

Ed then called out, "Hey Buzz, we could use some muscle!" Woody then said, "Yeah, get over her and help get this toolbox off me!" But Buzz just turned away with a sorrowful expression on his once proud face. Sora climbed down and walked to Buzz, but not before helping Ed with getting his string loose. Sora asked, "Buzz…we can't do this without you. Please, we need your help."

"…I can't help…I can't help anyone."

Ed patted Buzz on the back and said, "Sure you can Buzz, you can help Woody get out of that box, then we could pull that rocket off you, and we could make a break to Andy's House!" Buzz then said, Andy's, Sid's, what's the difference? It won't change what I am…Woody…you were right about me." Woody laughed, "Come on Buzz, get a hold of yourself and start thinking clearly about what you're saying! This isn't you!" Buzz shook his head and said, "No Woody, for the first time I am thinking clearly, you were right all along. I am NOT a Space Ranger; I'm just a toy…a stupid little insignificant toy, this is me all the way."

Woody shook his head and explained, "Stop that, you're NOT stupid, or insignificant, you're brave and more heroic than me in every way! And I'll tell you something else; being a toy is a lot better than being a 'Space Ranger'! You know why? Because every toy in the world would want to give up their moving parts just to be you! A toy can have wings, it can glow in the dark, it can talk, and you have it all, you even have a helmet that does that…that WHOOSH thing! And one of the best things about being a toy is being loved, having fun, and being remembered. In fact, over at that house is a kid who thinks you are the GREATEST! He couldn't forget the joy you brought to him because you were there with him to make lasers fly, to fight villains, you played with him and made his life an adventure! Not because you were a Space Ranger, but because you were a toy, HIS toy!"

Buzz wondered, "I don't get it…why would Andy want me when I'm not-?"

Woody happily answered, "Why would Any want you?! _**BECAUSE YOU'RE A BUZZ LIGHTYEAR, A GREAT TOY WITH A GREAT KID WHO LOVES YOU! BUZZ LIGHTYEAR, I CAN TELL YOU RIGHT NOW, YOU…ARE A COOL TOY!**_"

Buzz, Sora, and Edward looked at Woody, never expecting that a once grumpy and selfish cowboy doll could say such wonderful things about a toy he disliked.

Woody then said, "…And as a matter of fact Buzz, you're too cool, you're cooler than a forgetful toy like me. I mean, what chance does a toy like me have against a Buzz Lightyear action figure? All I can do is, well…" Woody pulls the back of his string…

("There's a snake in my boots!")

"…why would Andy ever want to play with me…when he's got you? I'm the one…who should've been strapped to that rocket."

Woody then turned away from his friends…

Ed smiled and said, "…he's brave to, don't you think? It takes a lot of courage to say those things about a friend." Sora nodded, "Especially a friend like Buzz Lightyear." Buzz then looked under his boot and saw the name 'Andy' on it. He then looked at Woody and felt a great amount of happiness and pride in his heart. He then started to walk towards Woody's box, and he climbed up to the toolbox and started pushing!

Woody looked up and noticed Buzz and asked, "B-Buzz, what are you doing you should-!"

"Come on, 'Sherriff', there's a kid over in that house who needs us, now let's get you out of here!"

As Buzz pushed the toolbox, Sora and Edward came to Buzz's side and helped him push! Woody smiled and saluted, "_**YES SIR!**_"

End of Chapter 96

* * *

**Next Chapter, Buzz's life hangs by a thread as Woody and the others venture out to save him...**

**Please Comment!**


	97. Chapter 97

**Last time, Xehanort's bodyguard, Braig, met with Armstrong and the hooded figure, claiming to be hunting for his ex-employer. He also revealed that Xehanort was experimenting on Y. O. U. T. H. orphans with perfect health on methods of mind control, the same as his alchemic warping of the heart. Braig theorized that perhaps the Orphans now wearing the Slave Crowns were apart of some army that Xehanort is creating. Later, the Rockbells were recruited to assist with the rescue attempt of the Elrics and Sora, Winry however, wanted to participate in coming along with the hooded figure (whom she suspects to be Riku). However, the hooded figure refused to let the mechanic endanger her life.**

**Back in the Sid's house, Sid came back to his room while Sora, Edward, and Woody hid and watched as the maniacal boy opened his package, which was a lethal rocket-like firework called 'The Big One'. Intending on blowing up Woody, Sid instead settled for a depressed and helpless Buzz, and taped the rocket onto Buzz's back. Luckily, before Sid could take Buzz out to light the rocket, lightning struck, and a rainstorm followed, making Sid change his scheduled 'shuttle launch' to tomorrow morning.**

**This was the chance Sora and Edward needed to get their friends out of harm's way! The duo rushed to get the box off Woody, but when they realized it was too heavy, they asked Buzz for help, who currently hasn't been feeling up to the task after realizing the truth about being a toy and not a Space Ranger. Woody then had a heart-to-heart with the reality-questioned action figure, telling him that being a toy was more fun than being a Space Ranger, even confessing to Buzz how much of a better toy he was than Woody himself, who saw his existence as nothing compared to the new favorite. Woody's realization brought up a feeling of trust and loyalty to Buzz, since he himself knew that Woody was also a good toy, and that he was not eager to abandon a friend. He then picked himself up and immediately came to Sora and Edward's aid!**

**Warning: Kingdom Hearts and Fullmetal Alchemist are both licensed by Square-Enix. The secondary licenses for both franchises are Disney (Kingdom Hearts), Aniplex, Bones Inc., and Funimation (Fullmetal Alchemist). **

**PS: There will be spoilers.**

* * *

Fullmetal Kingdom: The Fanfic

Chapter 97: To Save a Friend…

The trio pushed with all their might, and to Woody's amazement, the toolbox was moving! But suddenly-

(SCREACH)

A large van was parking in front of Andy's House! Buzz reported, "Woody, it's the moving van!" Ed then said, "No more slacking, we got to put our muscles into this and get the Hell out of here **NOW!**" Ed started pushing even harder, followed by Sora and Buzz. As the trio pushed the toolbox, Woody pushed the box he was in to make a quick escape! As the cowboy doll jumped out, he called out to his friends, "Buzz, guys, I'm out!"

"_**ALMOST…THERE…**_"

And just like that…

(CRASH)

The toolbox fell on Woody.

"…oops."

Sora went down to check on Woody, but as he did-

(RING-RING)

The alarm clock went off and woke Sid up!

The toys hid and Buzz resumed his position when Sid saw him last! As Sid tried to gather his thoughts, he remembered, "…!? OH YEAH, TIME FOR LIFT-OFF!" Sid then grabbed Buzz, unlocked his door, and ran out while yelling, "**WOO-HOO, **_**TO INFINITY AND BEYOND!**_"

Sora pulled the toolbox off Woody, and they and Ed ran to the door to try and save Buzz, but to their shock…

(BARK-BARK)

Sid's dog, Skud ran into the room and attacked Ed!

The Fullmetal Alchemist took one of the control bars on his back and transmuted it into a metal club with his face on it! He then batted Skud away, but the dog was quick to retaliate, and bit the club, then the canine threw him at Sora! As Sora and Edward collided with a wall, Ed looked back at Woody and ordered, "WOODY, HIDE!" As he and Sora prepared for battle, Woody ran back inside the toolbox and watched as his friends faced the carnivorous dog!

Sora ran at the dog and used a Thunder spell to drive the dog away, but Skud just ran through it and tackled the Keyblade Master! Sora was dazed from the attack, so he was an easy target for Skud's teeth; fortunately, Edward was quick to transmute a fist from the ground to knock Skud away! Ed went over to help Sora up and said, "This pound reject is too much for us! Alchemy and Keyblades won't be enough…" Sora then asked, "Well what can we do? They're all we have!"

"**BROTHER, SORA, WE'RE HERE!**"

Edward and Sora looked up at the desk and found Alphonse and Kairi rushing from the window down to them! Edward cheered, "ALRIGHT, THE CALVALRY'S HERE!" Kairi pulled out her guns and fired, startling Skud, but the dog simply growled, eagerly preparing to demolish his 'chew-toys'. Kairi cursed, "Damn, without real bullets, I might as well be shooting that monster with peanuts!"

Skud charged at Kairi, but Alphonse jumped on top of the ferocious dog and rode him like a bull, "YEE-HAW, RIDE'EM DOG-BOY, GIDDY-UP, ROVER!" Ed yelled, "QUIT TOYING WITH HIM AL, WE GOTTA GO!" Al nodded and steered Skud into a wall, stunning him!

"We can't just go with that thing constantly attacking, we gotta weaken him!" Sora said as he attacked. The others joined in and tried to wear the dog down…

(BARK)

The force of Skud's bark blew them away, and Skud was free to get back up and resume his assault!

Sora threw his Keyblade at the charging dog and successfully blinded him, causing him to steer away and collide with the door! Ed followed up with alchemy and transmuted four fists from the ground to punch the canine away! Skud angrily caught Ed with his teeth and started chewing on his wooden body, but Al attacked with a Haymaker, releasing Ed from the dog's jaws!

Kairi then loaded her guns with summon bullets and fired them!

"Here's a double dose of the Earth Element!"

As Kairi fired, the bullets became two Goblin-like monsters, who rushed at Skud, but then, they started to fuse together and grow into a muscular giant! Kairi bragged, "Meet the Titan, a disgraced guardian whose might can make the earth tremble in fear! His fist alone has the power to call upon the **Wrath of Gaia!**"

The Titan rushed toward a frightened Skud and delivered a devastating punch that sent the dog flying out of Sid's room!

Outside the room, Hannah came out of her room, but unfortunately, she came out the same time Skud was sent flying! The dog bumped into the girl, causing her to fall over! Angry, she yelled, "Stupid dog!" and walked down the stairs. Skud was dizzy from the attack, and ran into the door to Hannah's room, the dog was rendered unconscious after that, and the heroes were free to leave the room.

Ed then called out, "Woody, we've taken care of the 'fleabag'! You can come out now!" Woody complied and came out of the toolbox. As soon as the cowboy doll dusted himself off, he asked, "So what's the plan?" Kairi answered, "Well first we find Buzz and get you guy's home…or to Andy's van before he leaves. And second, we'll find that 'Keyhole' Sora was talking about and leave this world."

"Only one problem Kairi, it's Sid, he's got Buzz."

Kairi and Alphonse were surprised by this unfortunate turn of events, so Al asked, "So where's Buzz?" Woody answered, "He's probably in the back yard where Sid spends his time demolishing toys." Kairi shook her head, "It may be too late…" Ed disagreed, "Not really, that 'Big One' on Buzz's back looked like a firework, and if Buzz DID bight the-uh, 'big one', then we would've heard a loud explosion by now." Woody then said, "Then there's no time left, we have to get down to the back yard before Sid kills him!"

"_**WAIT-A-MINUTE!**_ Bravery is great, but courage with consequences is a recurring theme. If you guys head down there, you might bump into some humans, humans who don't know toys could come to life! I suggest a camouflage, a disguise, something that won't attract attention…something…like a doll spider-_**DOLL SPIDER?!**_"

To Kairi and the others' surprise, the mechanical spider-doll toy was right in front of them!

Ed transmuted a spear from the ground and threatened, "One step closer, AND IT'S TWO STEPS BACK WITH A LIMP!" The doll-spider stepped back, making Woody wonder…

"…there's a good toy down there. He's going to be blown to bits all because of me, and we need to save him. And we might need some help…please, help me save my friend?"

Woody's pleas made the doll-spider nod and knock on the metal leg of the desk. The group then heard some wheels rolling their way…

To their surprise, a skateboard with half an action figure taped to the front rolled before them!

The mutant toy looked at them and pointed to his back, making Al realize, "I think the skateboard-man wants us to ride on his back." Sora ran to the skateboard-man and jumped on, he then said, "Let's take the opportunity and hitch a ride to Sid's yard!" The others jumped on and headed out of the room!

"With those 'heroes' out of the room, we can have our chance to chat." Crimson said as he appeared out of a dark portal while carrying the Riku Replica. Crimson then asked, "So, are you still intending to finish him off, or has the truth finally sunk into that man-made brain of yours?" The Replica answered, "…Namine wants him to come, to be the hero…I wanted to prove I was just as heroic, that I had the same capabilities of saving her…but what's the point? He's exactly who I wanted to be! And if I killed him, I'd-." Crimson nodded, "That's right, then YOU'D be the villain, not the boy."

Crimson sets the Replica back down and advises, "This 'Xehanort' tells you nothing but lies and false promises, the best way for you to get even with him is to disobey him and work alongside your former nemesis." The Replica looked at his new Keyblade and nodded, "…you're right…I can't let myself become his puppet…not again. However, I can't change the way I see Sora, he's still unworthy of saving Namine…you can take your darkness…"

The Replica gave his Keyblade to Crimson, and then he asked, "…I'll fight Sora without it. Even if I'm…a fake, I'll use MY power and MY power alone. I forgot about Y. O. U. T. H., and so, I forgot my honor. I'll become stronger, and eventually, I'll meet him again, but this time, as a true Y. O. U. T. H. brother. Can you send me back to Risembool?" Crimson stared at the Keyblade, and then he looked at 'Riku' and answered, "As you wish Riku. By the way, if you ever feel like it, you can always call me for help. I might set you up against the REAL Riku…if I ever find him that is."

Crimson opened a portal and watched as the Replica went through…

"(chuckle) For a fake, he's pretty decent, almost like a human…I wish you luck none the less boy, after all, I only needed the Keyblade to seize what I really want…"

In Sid's yard, the deranged boy sets everything up for Buzz's destructive launch. Sid walks into the shack to find some matches, giving Buzz time to grieve, "Well Woody, by now, you've found a way back to Andy…"

"Why would I go without you? You're one of Andy's toys?"

"**W-WOODY?!**"

Sure enough, Buzz saw the cowboy doll standing before him! Woody then said, "Don't worry about a thing Buzz, we're busting you outta here!" Buzz then said, "Thank you Woody. Alright, get me out of this-!" But suddenly, Woody fell down and stopped moving! Buzz was confused and asked, "Woody, WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!"

"All systems are a go!" Sid said as he busted out of the shack with the matches.

Buzz resumed his position and waited for Death's sweet embrace. Sid then noticed Woody on the ground and placed a match in Woody's holster; he then tossed the doll onto a BBQ grill and said, "We'll have a 'cook-out' later, heh-heh!" Sid then came to Buzz and lit a match, "Tee minus 10 seconds…in counting; 10, 9, 8, _7, 6, 5, 4, __**3, 2, 1-!**_"

(_Reach for the sky-y._)

"Huh?! What-how could it-? Hmm…" Sid blew out his match and headed for Woody, wondering how he could talk when his string wasn't even pulled…

(_Somebody's poisoned the waterhole!_)

Sid examined the doll and the string and concluded, "Hmph, should'a known an old ragdoll like you would be busted."

(_**WHO'RE YOU CALLIN' 'BUSTED'?!**_)

Sid slowly looked back at Woody, wondering what just happened. The speaker continued, (_That's right; I'm talking to you, SID PHILLIPS! I'll be honest kid; we've been paying attention to __you and your destructive games__._) Sid asked, "W-who's 'we?" Woody replied, (_The ones you blow up Sid. And the ones you smash and rip apart! __**WE'RE YOUR TOYS!**_)

Sid then noticed Sora, Edward, Kairi, Alphonse, and the two mutant toys circling him and walking even closer, with menacing looks and weapons in hand! Woody then said, (_We toys can see everything Sid, we know how r__otten you are, and how__ you treat us! So we're here to give you a message…__from now on, you __WILL take good care of your toys! No blowing us up, no melting, no ripping, __**no feeding to your dog!**__ And if you don't, __**WE'LL…FIND…OOOUUUT…**_)

"_**SO PLAY NIIIIIIIIICE!**_"

"_**WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAGHH!**_"

Sid screamed in terror and ran back into his house!

The heroes cheered and applauded Woody for his brilliant plan! Ed patted Woody on the back and said, "I have to admit 'cowboy', your plan was excellent!" Kairi complied, "Yeah, but you could've planned for a cleaner hiding place…my dress smells like dog crap!" Sora then said, "Y'know, there's a hose nearby." Kairi then yelled, "_**A LADY DOES NOT CLEAN HERSELF OUT IN THE OPEN, YOU PERV!**_"

"Hey Woody!" The cowboy rushed to his friend, who offered a handshake, "…thanks." Woody happily excepted Buzz's hand in friendship. Buzz then said, "I should thank the rest of you." Sora bragged, "Aw, think nothing of it, we're friends, so it's only natural for friends to help each other."

"Everybody say 'Bye house'!"

The group heard Andy's mom start the car, and with that, Woody and Buzz were off! Woody waved, "We gotta run, THANKS GUYS!"

As the group watched their friends exit through the fence, Alphonse wondered, "You think they'll make it brother?" Ed nodded, "When you have a common goal, there's no stopping you. You should know that by now Al."

(_**RRRRRAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAARRRRRRR RGH!**_)

The heroes turned around and were shocked to find an enormous, blanket-like monster floating over them! Ed then surmised, "This thing…could it be the Golem Boss?" Sora pointed at it's forehead, "Does THAT answer your question?! It's Crimson's insignia, proof that this thing's a Golem!" Kairi smirked and said, "Then we'll send this thing to bed!_** ATTACK!**_"

End of Chapter 97

* * *

**Next Chapter, our heroes are up to their necks when they battle the newest Golem AND an old enemy...**

**Please Comment!**


	98. Chapter 98

**Last time, Sid was ready the next day to launch Buzz into the air via a dangerous and highly explosive rocket. Edward, Sora and Woody went off to save him, only to battle with the crazed boy's dog, Skud. Luckily, they were joined by Alphonse and Kairi, who were more than ready to deal with the dog! After they dealt with Skud, they headed out to save the Space Ranger. As they left, Crimson and the Replica of Riku had a heart to heart about vengeance, making 'Riku' realize that blaming Sora wasn't going to save Namine. Instead, the Replica decided to leave the power Crimson gave him (a Keyblade forged from darkness), and become stronger on his own. Crimson respected the copy's decision and opened a gateway back to Amestris for him...**

**In Sid's back yard, the boy was ready to 'launch' the Space Ranger when he found Woody on the ground. As he questioned why Woody was there, the party (and two mutant toys) made their move and terrified Sid with a message: To never mistreat a toy again. The boy was frightened and left the back lawn, screaming for help. Woody and Buzz finally shook hands in friendship, and then the two toys left to try and catch up with the moving van.**

**As they said goodbye to Woody and Buzz, Ed, Sora, and the others decided to start looking for a way back home, but to their shock, they were attacked by a new Golem monstrosity!**

**Warning: Kingdom Hearts and Fullmetal Alchemist are both licensed by Square-Enix. The secondary licenses for both franchises are Disney (Kingdom Hearts), Aniplex, Bones Inc., and Funimation (Fullmetal Alchemist). **

**PS: There will be spoilers.**

* * *

Fullmetal Kingdom: The Fanfic

Chapter 98: Toxic Waste

"I call it the Bog Breather!"

The heroes turn around and find the Golem King, Crimson, floating behind them! Ed then asked, "Why are these Golems everywhere you and your flunkies are?!" Crimson answered, "Don't you remember, 'Pine-Size'? I was the beginning of the Golems; therefore, I'm their leader, their father, their 'big daddy'!"

"_**WHATCHA-MEAN-BY-WHATCHA-CALLED-ME?! JUS'-C**__**UZ'-MY-SIZE-IS-LIMITED-DOESN'T-MEAN-YOU-CAN-CRACK- AT-IT!**_"

Crimson then said, "I'll be cracking up when my newest pet 'cracks' your psyche with it's Bad Breath! I designed this Golem to render you all useless and weak while I seize the Keyblade Master."

No sooner had Crimson ended his rant that the Bog Breather breathed out a large amount of green mist! The heroes were caught in the mist, struggling not to breath in the poisonous air. The Bog Breather then followed up with a swing of it's sharp claws, beating Edward and Alphonse away!

As Crimson watched the Elrics get knocked out of the mist, he then said, "Now deal with the Minx, and you can eat all the Fullmetal/Minx nuggets you want!"

(BANG, BANG)

The monster screamed as it's eyes were shot!

"I won't let you take Sora away from me! And I'll never allow you, or anyone else, to try!"

"K-Kairi?" Sora felt his hand being pulled away, and as the mist cleared, he saw the one who saved him, Kairi, shooting at the monster! The Bog Breather, growled and tried to smack her, but due to it's blindness, the Bog Breather wasn't having ANY luck hitting her!

"No you don't!"

(SWIPE)

"I'm over here!"

(SWIPE)

"Hey, what are you, blind? HA-HA!"

Enraged by the girl's quick movements, the Bog Breather unleashes a wave of black fire! Sora, Edward, and the others miraculously jumped over the flame! Ed then said, "That was close, we were nearly burned to a crisp! (cough-cough)"

Al then asked, "Brother, what is it?" Ed answered, "I-I'm feeling kinda sick…it must…be…the mist…" Al cradled Edward and yelled, "Sora, Kairi, the green mist poisoned our bodies, be careful!"

"New Flash, it's already too late!" Crimson said as Sora and Kairi started to stagger. The Bog Breather's eyes were then healed, giving the monster it's sight back! The Bog Breather grins and breathes a massive amount of purple mist! Kairi and the others tried to cover their mouths and noses to keep the mist out of them, but to Sora's shock, his sight was disappearing!

"The purple mist, it's blinding us!"

The Keybearer's words were true, as every one of them lost the ability to see! The Bog Breather laughed and spat out needles that pierced the heroes, injuring them on the spot! But suddenly-

(SNAP)

Edward successfully caught the ones aimed at him and broke them to pieces!

"ALPHONSE, SORA, USE YOUR EARS!"

Sora and Alphonse listened to the Bog Breather, who reached out for Kairi, hoping to crush her as payback for the shots to it's eyes! "LOOK OUT KAIRI!" Sora said as he tackled her out of the monster's reach!

The Bog Breather then balled up it's fists and tried to crush them, but using his ears, Sora was able to hear the approaching fist, and carried Kairi while running away from the Bog Breather's multiple crushing attacks!

"Sora, come towards me!" Alphonse called out.

Sora ran towards the sound of Al's voice, luring in the menacing monstrosity.

Alphonse heard Sora running and said, "JUMP OVER ME!" Sora complied and jumped gracefully over Alphonse. Al then transmuted two cannons and shot two mighty blows to the Golem's body, sending it flying away!

Edward rubbed his eyes and was starting to see the Bog Breather, who was roaring in fury! The others also rubbed their eyes and regained their sight. Kairi asked, "What's wrong with it?" Al answered, "It's angry, Kairi, animals feel frustration as much as humans when they lose their prey." Sora corrected, "True Alphonse, but that thing isn't an animal."

And to the party's surprise, the Bog Breather screamed out loud and out of it's mouth came bony hands with teeth for fingernails! The hands reached for them, but the heroes jumped out of the way and attacked them, shredding them into pieces! The Bog Breather screamed in agony, but it unleashed more hands at the heroes! They jumped out of the way again, but to their surprise, the hands took individual sides and chased after all four of them!

Sora sliced through the hands that came at him, but they were multiplying like crazy!

Edward also had trouble dealing with the hands. He transmuted cannons to destroy the hands, but the hands still regenerate!

"You have all the time to run, but you'll be running out of steam. My newest creation can withdraw, but only on my command! And what do I want in return? That's simple, I want your Avenger! That Keyblade in your hands, it may yet save the lives of the missing…" Crimson hinted.

Sora asked, "The missing? What're you-?!" But before he could finish, the hands succeeded in grabbing him!

"SORA!" Kairi tried to reach out to him, but the hands that were chasing her caught her in their grasp!

Crimson then floated down to the ground and said, "Hmph, surely the Genomes explained their reasons for coming to Amestris. Or have they neglected to tell you?" Sora answered, "They came…looking for their leader, President Mickey." Crimson nodded, then he said, "And before their adventure, the pipsqueak had one of his own. Perhaps you know of his quest…to find his missing people; he sought the help of a great weapon, a Key with the alternating power to open the door to the enslaved."

Sora then took a guess, "So then…you, you're the one who kidnapped them?!" Crimson crossed his fingers and answered, "No-no-no-no; that was done by one of my subordinates. They are kept somewhere safe, but they won't last there forever. Sadly, that is also where the mouse is being kept. He came to my territory, seeking the missing Genomes, but was unaware of my return. Right now, he's probably facing fears more terrifying than you ever faced! He's doomed unless the true Keyblade Master can open the door and release him and the others. You have the Keyblade, thus you are it's Master, my conditions are simple, assist me and my plans, and I will take you to that door."

Ed barked, "That's coming from a kidnapper and a leader of soulless dolls! Don't buy into his lies Sora, remember, he wants to annihilate Amestris, including the people who-!"

"People? PEOPLE?! HAD YOU KNOWN THEIR TRUE IDENTITY, THEN THIS WOULD BE A DIFFERENT MATTER ALL-TOGETHER!" Crimson argued.

The Golem King then explained, "This boy acts naïve, but truth be told, he is as cold-hearted as the true enemies of mankind! 'People'…that's a name for a species that lives harmoniously with happiness and love. The so-called people in Amestris smell like blood. You have met with enemies and monsters in Amestris, and so even YOU Sora, you would know true evil when it rears it's disfigured face! Lior, Xenotime, Cities of East & Central, they are examples of where to find sin in it's purest and most sinister forms! Because of the alchemists, a great civilization like Ishbal was wiped off the face of the Earth! Edward Elric is one of those sinister forms; after all, he submitted to the dark arts and sacrificed his younger brother for a forbidden art he believed would return his mother to the living! He performed a sacrifice once, and he WILL do it again, because his leader will command it!"

Sora yelled, "His commander is Colonel Roy Mustang…and he sent a soldier to find me. Despite my flaws, the colonel made me one of his soldiers; he gave me a chance at living a normal life with good people, great people named the Hughes! I befriended soldiers there, they were all good, friendly, and heroic people, and the first of them who proved it was the Fullmetal Alchemist! He was honest, and had NOTHING to do with evil! If anything, he's a super hero with the same heart as an angel of God! He apologized to me when he troubled me, he taught me to fight using different arts, and he encouraged me to keep myself alive, EDWARD ELRIC IS A GOOD MAN, MORE THAN YOU WILL EVER BE!"

Crimson looked at Edward, who looked at him with a ready and willing stare. A stare that was similar to a strong and great warrior Crimson met many years ago with the same spirit and courage…

"…you speak of this frail sinner as if he was Terra."

As Crimson stared, he remembered a brave young teenager with a Keyblade, who was startled by Crimson's capture of a young blonde…

"**Relations can be a dangerous thing. Your master is the reason you two are in this dilemma, so you will tell me where he is if you value your friend's life."**

The blonde boy begged, **"Please run…get away…"**

Terra however charged, surprising the Golem King!

After the flashback, Crimson realized Ed was charging him, with the hands still coming after him! Edward slid under the masked man, and to Crimson's surprise, the Hands intercepted him and pushed him hard into the ground!

The Bog Breather was shocked by it's attack, so it pulled Crimson out of the hole, and whined in fear as Crimson stood back up. He dusted himself off and looked at his servant with furious eyes…

"Change of plans my pet."

Crimson then turned towards the party and said, "My plan was to drive the Keybearer mad with sorrow by getting rid of those who befriended him. But apparently, the boy will be harder to break than I thought…so I'll just have to skip to the end…" Crimson took out his walking stick, making the Fullmetal wonder, _What does a muscle-head like you need with a walking stick?_

Crimson wrapped his left hand on the lower part of the walking stick, while his right hand grabbed the handle. The Golem King then said, "…use a pet, and the pet gets put down. Use a general, and they betray you. I am left with only one solution…_**to use a small portion of Hell to teach you the meaning of pain.**_" Crimson then jolted his right hand and swiftly pulled a small blade from the sheath/walking stick!

"_**CEASE YOUR STEPS!**_"

The party then watched as a red light was emitting from the large orb at the bottom of the handle!

Alphonse then realized, "**BROTHER, CRIMSON HAS A PHILOSOPHER STONE!**"

Ed was shocked, but he was also too late! The light formed into an image of a clock and shined brightly before the party!

"Last time, I retreated without trying to take the Keyblade…"

Ed tried to attack Crimson, but to his shock, the Fullmetal Alchemist was unable to move!

"…but never again."

The party was completely paralyzed, unable to move, run, or attack Crimson and the Bog Breather!

Crimson walked over to Sora and said, "I had no interest in wasting my powers on you and your lawn ornaments, but you were just _so_ stubborn! You forced my hand, so I forced your climax. Bog Breather, your dinner awaits, I'll take the prize back to my castle." The Golem King grabbed Sora and opened a dark portal. Crimson turned around to brag to the remaining party when he noticed someone missing…

(KA-POW)

Alphonse surprised Crimson with a sucker-punch!

Crimson stood up and looked in confusion as the metal alchemist stood before him, defending Sora! Oddly, Alphonse's toy body changed into his original form!

"_**You…why…TELL ME WHY YOU CAN MOVE!**_"

End of Chapter 98

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**Next Chapter, Alphonse takes on the Golem King, then Sora discovers a piece of his mysterious past...**

**Please Comment!**


	99. Chapter 99

**Last time, in Sid's back yard, Crimson made his move and attacked Edward, Sora, Alphonse and Kairi with his latest Golem, the Bog Breather, a mass of poison with a tendency to inflict toxic ailments onto the group, courtesy of it's Bad Breath! It's advantage was precise, but it's weaknesses were obvious! It was after the Bog Breather unleashed an unending amount of arms from it's mouth that the heroes were at Crimson's mercy.**

**The Golem King then confessed to the disappearing Genomes from Fantasia, hinting that he might have had a connection to it. After a daring counter by Edward, Crimson decided to take things seriously and unsheathe a dagger from his walking stick. But he didn't use the blade, he used the Philosopher Stone connected to the end of the dagger to ensnare Sora, Edward, Kairi, and Alphonse in a spell that stopped them in their tracks!**

**Happily pleased with the Stone's power, Crimson set out to take Sora away to his castle. But suddenly, Alphonse surprised the Golem King with a heavy punch, forcing him to release Sora! As Al's body changed back to it's original armored appearance, Crimson roared with confusion, and the two faced off...**

**Warning: Kingdom Hearts and Fullmetal Alchemist are both licensed by Square-Enix. The secondary licenses for both franchises are Disney (Kingdom Hearts), Aniplex, Bones Inc., and Funimation (Fullmetal Alchemist). **

**PS: There will be spoilers.**

* * *

Fullmetal Kingdom: The Fanfic

Chapter 99: Infinity & Beyond

Alphonse stood before Crimson, ready to defeat the Golem King! Crimson roared, "_**Tell me…HOW CAN YOU STILL MOVE?!**_" Alphonse didn't answer; instead, he delivered a right hook! The punch was so hard; it sent Crimson flying through the air and straight into the shack!

"It's our bodies…" Kairi said. Edward was confused, so Kairi explained, "Crimson has a Philosopher Stone inside his dagger, and with it he can inflict Status Ailments on the living, making beings of flesh and blood susceptible to his power. Get it? His curses only work on organic substances, like our bodies. But Alphonse isn't flesh and blood; he's pure metal, making his body immune!"

Crimson staggers out of the shack, but is instantly met with a cannonball to the face!

"Give…me…A MINUTE!"

The Golem King tosses the ball back at Al, who jumps out of the way until the earth beneath his feet disappeared!

"The minute was spent, _**NOW COMES THE COUNTER ATTACK!**_"

A gout of flame bursts out of the shack and straight at Al, who transmuted a large wall to protect himself!

Sora then asked, "Kairi…you seem to know about these curses! How long do we need to wait until it wears off?" Kairi replied, "This curse was given the simple name, Stop. The amount of time we have should be visible on the top of our heads."

Ed looked at Kairi and noticed a Transmutation Circle in the form of a clock above her head, "It looks like you have 1 minute before you can move." Kairi looked at Ed and noticed the same Circle above Ed's head, "You and Sora have the same amount of time, but knowing this isn't going to help Alphonse!"

Crimson grabbed Alphonse and tossed him to the left, and to the right! Then Crimson threw Alphonse at Ed!

(CRASH)

As Al stood back up, he noticed Ed was on the ground, injured by Al's impact.

"_**STEEEE**__**EEEEERRRRRRRRRRRRRRIKE!**_"

Crimson's silly taunt only aggravated Alphonse, so much in fact that Al transmuted the ground beneath Crimson to disappear! The Golem King fell in, and was annoyed by Alphonse's upper hand.

"_You forget Bastard-Child, __**it's two aga**__**inst one!**_"

Suddenly, the Bog Breather grabbed Alphonse from behind and tried to breathe a toxin upon Al!

"I guess it's a good thing I can't breathe."

Al punched the Bog Breather in the eye, Grabs it by the claw, and tosses it on top of the emerging Crimson!

(DROP)

"**DAMN-IT, I'M TRYING TO CLIMB OUT! COULD YOU AT LEAST GIVE ME SOME-!?**"

Alphonse grabbed Crimson and said, "Your armies keep attacking us, and you think I'd let you off the hook for it?! YOU'VE TRIED TO DESTROY US CRIMSON, AND I'M NOT LETTING YOU LEAVE WITHOUT A REASON TO BACK OFF!"

(BRA-KOOM)

Alphonse brutally punched Crimson in every vulnerable spot on his upper torso, his stomach, his eyes, his head and even his arms were pummeled! Alphonse then punched Crimson into the air and transmuted a spear to toss at him when suddenly; Crimson manipulated the shadows beneath Alphonse to hold him in place…

"W-what's going on?! I can't-!"

(SLICE)

The Golem King sliced through Alphonse, cutting off his left arm and leg!

"_ALPHONSE, __**NO!**_" Ed yelled as his little brother fell.

Crimson immediately picked up Al and said, "You dare to tell me what to do? You DARE lay your lifeless hands on me, attempt to trounce me, and tell me what to do?!"

Crimson then took out his dagger and pointed at Al's blood seal…

"A king stands before you, so you can either kneel before me, or offer your life. And since you're down one leg, falling over would humiliate your king even more, so the way I see it, your life is already forfeit, isn't it? _**Decisions, decisions…**_"

And just then, Kairi noticed Ed's timer quickening!

Crimson then said, "A word of advice for your 'supposed' next life…when your body is artificial, don't pick fights with people who have ACTUAL muscles."

Crimson pulls his blade back, readying his attack on Alphonse's Blood Seal…

(KA-POW)

Instantly, Ed's knee collided with Crimson's head, releasing Alphonse from his grasp!

Crimson retaliated with a fist made of Earth and Flame and threw multiple punches at Edward!

Kairi then realized, "Edward…he freed himself through his determination!" Sora then suggested, "Then our eager spirits can weaken the Stop curse! We just need to fight the curse the same way Ed did!"

As Sora and Kairi struggled to move, Edward kicked Crimson away, and transmuted his Automail Arm into a Cannon Arm and shot the masked man away!

Ed then rushed to Al's side and Transmuted Al back into his toy form!

"Take it easy Al; I'll take care of the Incredible Prick!" Ed said as he tackled Crimson.

The Golem King shoved Ed under his armpit and yelled, "SMELL OF VICTORY, DWARF!" Crimson then ordered the Bog Breather, "We're changing the plan, eat the Keybearer's friends NOW! Start with the gerbil!" Crimson then tossed Edward at the Bog Breather, who licked it's chops and opened it's mouth…

(SLICE)

At that instant, the Bog Breather was vanquished, cut in half by a sword-wielding figure wearing a black coat!

Edward dropped to the ground and looked up, wondering who the figure was. Edward thought to himself, _Who is this guy…and how could his kill something with just one cut?_ Before Ed could ask, the figure yelled, "Sora, the Rockbells sent me here to bring you all out of here!"

Crimson stepped forward and said, "I already have that under control 'hoodie'! So why don't you tell the blonde bombshell to wait for what's left of her little boyfriend?"

"**I-I'M NOT HER BOYFRIEND!**"

Crimson brought out his dagger, and using the Philosopher Stone, he commanded, "_HOW 'BOUT A LITTLE __FIRE SCARECROW?!_"

The ground beneath the hooded figure trembled and unleashed a fountain of flaming and broiling magma! But before the magma could touch him, the hooded figure stabbed the ground with his blade and yelled, "_**BLIZZARA!**_"

At everyone's surprise, the magma became solid, black molds of earth! And unbeknownst to the Golem King, the ground was covered in thin ice…

"Oh, the scarecrow's not used to a tanning job! Well maybe a 'light' show will satisfy you, courtesy of my Blind Curse! -eh?" Crimson then found his footing slipping from the ground.

"_**YOU SUNOVA BI-**_WAGH!" Crimson slipped before he could continue.

(FA-VOOM)

Sora, Edward, and the others then notice something flying in the sky.

Al then asked, "Brother, didn't Buzz have a rocket attached to his back?" Ed sweated, "Oh crap!"

As the heroes watched, Buzz's rocket was jettisoning into the sky, where Woody screamed, "WAAAAAAAAGH! THIS IS THE PART WHERE WE BLOW UP!" But Buzz pressed his red button and tore the tapped rocket off his back with his wings. The rocket blew up in the sky while the duo fell…

But as Woody closed his eyes in fear, Buzz swooped away from the ground and back into the air!

Woody opened his eyes and realized, "H-hey Buzz, you're flying!" Buzz replied, "This isn't flying, THIS IS FALLING, WITH STYLE!"

Buzz flew straight through the sky and near the moving van, to which Woody swung his arms out and yelled, "TO INFINITY, AND BEYOOOOOOOOOND!" But to Woody's shock, they moved over the moving truck! Woody pointed out, "Uh Buzz, WE MISSED THE TRUCK!" Buzz smiled and said, "We're not aiming for the truck!" Woody then noticed Andy's van before them, and to their joy, the roof window of the van was open, giving Buzz a chance to drop.

(PLOP)

Andy looked around his seat, wondering what made the noise, when he noticed Woody and Buzz in the box next to him! "MOM, I FOUND'EM, IT'S WOODY AND BUZZ!" Andy's Mom cheered, "I'm glad you found them son. So where were they?" Andy answered, "They were here in the car!" Andy's Mom then said, "See, it's like I told you? They were right where you left them."

Woody and Buzz then smiled at one another, with a new friendship made between one another, and winked, knowing that from now on, things would work out just fine…

Back in Sid's yard, Edward smiled, "…he flew…it was impossible, but he flew." Al looked at Ed and said, "They made the impossible happen, so maybe we can do the same as them and find the Philosopher Stone." Sora smiled and said, "You guys know your way around the impossible, so I wouldn't be surprised if you succeeded."

As the heroes conversed with each other, Kairi walked towards a fallen Crimson, who just noticed her pointing a gun at him…

Crimson smirked, "I smell it, you know. A wet wolf in sheep's clothing." Kairi then said, "I'm not interested in hearing your random bull-." Crimson then said, "Well maybe your buddies might be interested in knowing who you really are, 'Minx'…assuming if you've already told them what you are."

Kairi then said, "…I'm human, and that's all you need to know." Crimson retaliated, "Then I suppose that permanent tattoo on the left side of your back is just for appeal. You struck me as the 'one-man' kind of girl, not the 'flimsy and heart-breaking' kind. You play the 'friend in deed', but your role in this story has more shady edges than a bathroom stall."

Kairi yelled, "I'm not sure what you're going for, but if you try taking Sora away from me, then I'll-!" Crimson bragged, "I'm immortal 'sweetheart', your threats fall to deaf ears. Now I understand your need for the Keyblade Master, but you can't play 'childhood sweetheart' forever. You belong to the Father and his children, and eventually, they will force you to make a choice, the past…or the present? Either way, your future has and will turn into a train-wreck of secrets, betrayal, and pain."

Crimson suddenly sinks into a dark portal from behind his back, and as he disappeared, he said, "F. Y. I.: You will need to make the decision soon, otherwise, your brethren will spoil everything, and Sora will never trust you again…"

His words cut deep into Kairi's pride and gave her a feeling of fear…fear of leaving Sora's side…fear of what he would think of her…and fear for what he'll become. Kairi started thinking, _What'll I do? I can't tell him about Lust and the others…but I can't let him change back either. Grandmother…what would you do?_

"GUYS, LOOK UP THERE!"

Kairi snapped out of her train of thought and looked to where Alphonse was pointing…

He was pointing at Andy's old house, where at his window, was a large amount of shining light. Sora realized, "The Keyhole, Edward, it's the Keyhole!" The hooded figure crossed his arms and thought for a while, then he said, "…Sora, if you seal the Keyhole, then Crimson, the Golems, and the otherworldly threats from other worlds can't return here." Sora looked back at his friends and nodded, he then headed back to Andy's Old House.

The Keyblade Master made it up to Andy's old room, where he noticed the clouds on the wallpaper start to glow. The clouds' light intertwined and revealed the Keyhole in the middle of the room. Sora aimed his Avenger at the Keyhole and prepared to lock it when he started to feel strange, "Umph, (wipes eyes) today must've exhausted me, I did have to rescue friends and fight monsters. Still…I shouldn't…feel…this…sleepy…"

Sora then found himself in a chair, sitting in front of someone, an elderly woman who smiled kindly at him. She then told Sora a story…

_**Long ago, people lived in peace, bathed in the warmth of light.**_

_**Everyone loved the light.**_

_**Then people began to fight over it.**_

_**They wanted to keep it for themselves.**_

_**And darkness was born in their hearts.**_

_**The darkness spread, swallowing the light and many people's hearts.**_

_**It covered everything, and the world disappeared.**_

_**But small fragments of light survived…in the hearts of children.**_

_**With these fragments of light, children rebuilt the lost world.**_

_**It's the world we live in now.**_

_**But the true light sleeps, deep within the darkness.**_

_**That's why the worlds are still scattered, divided from each other.**_

_**But someday, a door to the innermost darkness will open.**_

_**And the true light will return.**_

_**So, listen, child.**_

_**Even in the deepest darkness, there will always be a light to guide you.**_

_**Believe in the light, and the darkness will never defeat you.**_

_**Your heart will shine with its power, and push the darkness away.**_

_**Do you understand, Kairi?**_

"Kairi?!"

Sora then noticed a little red-haired girl next to him, who looked at him and pulled on his arm while yelling, "Sora, SORA, PLEASE WAKE UP!"

"W-wake up?" Sora then saw Kairi shaking him while he was lying on the ground. Sora looked around, and found that he, her, and the Elrics, were back in the Risembool mines, where Winry was hugging Edward and crying out about how much trouble he was in.

Sora then asked, "Kairi, are we in Risembool?" Kairi nodded, "You were taking too long to come back, and the Keyhole was already sealed, so we came looking for you. After we found you asleep in Andy's Room, we decided to take you back to our world, hoping that you would eventually wake up." Sora scratched his head, and then he asked, "Did you…have a grandmother?"

"W-what did you say?"

Sora changed the subject by saying, "N-never mind, I was just-." Instantly, Kairi hugged Sora tightly and said, "YOU REMEMBER GRANDMA, YOU REMEMBER GRANDMA!"

Edward noticed Kairi's delight and smiled, knowing that Sora's forgotten past was starting to unravel, but he noticed something out of place. Major Armstrong was nowhere to be seen. He then noticed the hooded figure walking away. Edward took a deep breath, and followed him!

End of Chapter 99

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**Next Chapter, the heroes head back to Central City to find Marcoh's Notes, but before doing so, Ed is greeted with some uncomfortable news...**

**Please Comment!**


	100. Chapter 100

**After 4 years, Disc 1 of Fullmetal Kingdom is almost over! Now only 10 Chapters are left until the special 'End of Disc 1' Chapter! In this chapter, there will be questions regarding the fan's opinions on the past, present, and future of Fullmetal Kingdom. Plus, there will be a list of accomplishments for clearing events on Disc 1 (kinda like the Kingdom Hearts series rewards the players with Journal Entries, Weapons, New Spells and so on).**

**So to all the fans of Fullmetal Kingdom, THANK YOU FOR READING & SUPPORTING! :D**

* * *

**Last time, Alphonse fought Crimson in a thrilling battle after the Golem King's Philosopher Stone wouldn't curse the living suit of armor! Eventually, Edward, Sora and Kairi joined the fight, and defeated him and the Bog Breather! Just then, the hooded figure arrived to try and get the group back to their home world. However, Sora still had to seal the mystical Keyhole in Andy's old home to keep otherworldly disasters like Crimson and the Golems from returning. But as he did, Sora had a vision of an old woman, telling him (and Kairi) a story about the Light in children's hearts and the Darkness in hearts corrupted by avarice.**

**Back in Risembool, the heroes were restored back into their original bodies and greeted by the Rockbells, however, the lack of Armstrong was troubling. Sora then confessed to Kairi that he may have seen her grandmother, this brought Kairi great joy, knowing that particles of Sora's past were starting to unravel! Meanwhile, Edward followed the hooded figure in order to find out what he knows...**

**Warning: Kingdom Hearts and Fullmetal Alchemist are both licensed by Square-Enix. The secondary licenses for both franchises are Disney (Kingdom Hearts), Aniplex, Bones Inc., and Funimation (Fullmetal Alchemist). **

**PS: There will be spoilers.**

* * *

Fullmetal Kingdom: The Fanfic

Chapter 100: Onward to Central

Edward ran out of the mines to look for the hooded figure, but to his disappointment, he was nowhere in sight…

"Edward Elric, given nickname; Fullmetal, it seems we were meant to meet a second time."

The hooded figure emerged from the mine entrance behind Edward and stood in front of the surprised alchemist. Edward then asked, "Who are you, and when did we meet?" The hooded figure replied, "It was Destiny Islands. There, I spoke to Sora about Xehanort taking Rose away. I doubt you saw me, but just in case you did…how're things going?"

Ed then asked, "…fine. Anyway, where's the major?!" The hooded figure replied, "He is escorting Braig to Central to give Xehanort a trial." Edward was shocked, "X-XEHANORT?! And wait, did you say Braig?!" The hooded figure nodded, "Yes I did, and by now, you probably know what's going on…Xehanort plotted your disappearance to remove any obstacles from spoiling his true motives…"

Ed then realized, "…to continue studying the Keyblade!"

The hooded figure nodded and explained, "By now, the train has probably come under attack, and the terrorists Braig hired will have helped him and his master out of the military's sight." Ed then asked, "How do you know this?" The hooded figure replied, "My work dabbles in darkness Edward. I've been spying on more than just you and Sora. I have some more news to report; Isaac McDougal is the one leading these terrorists."

Ed sighed, "That means the Eastern Liberation Front are-!" The hooded figure then said, "Yes, the very same terrorists. And like a moth to the flame, Xehanort will use the Liberation Front to escort him to Central, where it's believed he has a secret laboratory. Once there, he'll let the terrorists tear the city apart while waiting for the Keyblade's chosen one to arrive and provide Xehanort with more results in his studies."

At first, Ed thought, _To think Isaac's attack would be in the very city we'r__e trying to get to._ Ed then asked, "So why would Isaac's Cheerleading Group allow Xehanort's involvement?" The hooded figure replied, "The Freezing Alchemist sees Xehanort's Heart Manipulation as a chance to convince the citizens of Central who the real enemy is through brainwashing. And not only that, Xehanort's talent in alchemy can help him produce a Red Stone." Ed gritted his teeth, "So now Isaac's after the power of a Philosopher Stone?" The hooded figure replied, "Why not? You saw his alchemy up close, and even that wasn't a match for you. But with the power of two Red Stones on his side, he'll rip Central Command itself into snowflakes!"

"TWO RED STONES?!"

"Oh yeah, I should've mentioned that."

Ed grabbed the hooded figure and asked, "WHERE THE HELL DID THIS PSYCHO GET HIS HANDS ON THE FIRST RED STONE?!" The hooded figure replied, "…Cornello, the same man who you and Sora defeated in Lior…according to some."

Edward released the hooded figure and said, "…What can we do?" The hooded figure explained, "Isaac's goals of destroying Central may already be in the palms of his clutches, but he'll still need a concentrated attack made from his alchemy. That's why he hid Transmutation Circles around town. These Circles match the ones on his gauntlets." The hooded figure brought out a small drawing, a Transmutation Circle that caught Edward's eye…

"This…_**THIS IS WHAT HE'S GOING TO USE?!**_"

The hooded figure asked, "So you're familiar with the circle?" Ed nodded and said, "Yes, I once fought an alchemist who used that same Transmutation Circle to liquefy the air around her and reduce it's volume, vaporizing it and producing a shockwave. Liquid, the element of cool, smooth water, with alchemy like this, the Freezer's alchemy makes sense. That Circle could boil and freeze anything it touches…so since Isaac's Hell-bent on putting Amestris and King Bradley on ice…"

"Then that's exactly what he'll do." The hooded figure said.

Ed then said, "I'm heading to Central anyway, so one little near-death side-quest won't be a problem." The hooded figure then said, "By any chance, are you searching for something related to Dr. Tim Marcoh? (Ed: "Y-you know?!") The man was nicknamed the Crystal Alchemist for his creation of the Red Stones, when you think about a group of people looking for a rock with the potency of the real thing; Marcoh's name is easy to remember. You're still dabbling in Human Transmutation even after your attempt at bringing your mother back, and you found the doctor earlier without taking a thing from him. That can only mean Marcoh left a clue to the Philosopher Stone in Central City, and you mean to create one!"

Ed asked, "SO WHAT IF I AM?! THIS CAN CHANGE MY BROTHER-!"

"-Back to normal? You know it's potential, it's great power, **but do you know the price?!**"

"The-…the price?"

The hooded figure turned around and walked away while saying, "I understand your desperation to give Alphonse the feeling of flesh, the taste of food, and the experience of normal human life again. That's why I'll allow you to leave Risembool and find the truth out for yourself. If you love your brother, then take this 'hidden truth' as a warning, and avoid the stone."

And with that, the hooded figure walked away, but not before Ed got a glimpse at his white locks from inside the hood…

"…the voice…matches the hair…was I just informed…by Riku?"

Sora came out of the cave with Al, Winry, and Pinako and asked, "Hey Ed, where'd that guy in the coat go?" Ed smiled at Sora and said, "Ha, who knows? Maybe he went off to mingle with the ladies. Dorks like him always think their 'dark hero' personas can attract girls. (ahem) For now, we have to get going. Central's a few miles away, and we'll have plenty to talk about on the ride over."

"HOLD IT!"

Ed turned around and saw Winry walking towards him. She crossed her arms, thought a bit to herself, then looked at the nervous alchemist and said, "…you guys came back in one piece; I guess your bodyguard's not too shabby a choice. I guess I can let him keep an eye on you boys until I see you again." Ed was relieved to see Winry's confident smile again, so he said, "Don't tell me you were worried." Winry pouted, "About Al, not you!"

Winry then looked at Sora and commanded, "Hey Sora, I'll trust you with their lives, think you can handle that?" Sora saluted Winry and said, "No problem mam!" Winry smiled and shook the Keyblade Master's hand, "Remember…your life has meaning to." Sora was surprised by Winry's reminder, but he smiled and said, "…thanks Winry."

Winry turned back to Ed and said, "Come visit us again (giggle)." Ed nodded, "…You got it, till next time."

As the two childhood friends were chatting, Pinako came beside Sora and said, "She's really taken with this trio you've become a part of, that's a sign of her and you becoming friends. And friends like her are always going to wait for the day when their dearest friends will come home and show them they're safe and happy. She believes you can bring them home for her…so don't disappoint her, alright?" Sora nodded, "You have my word Mrs. Rockbell. With friends like them, how can I forget? W-WAIT, WHERE'S KAIRI?!"

Sora looked around, but to his shock, Kairi wasn't around! He then headed back into the mines, surprising the Elrics and the Rockbells.

"Kairi? Kairi, where are you?! KAIRI?!"

Sora searched everywhere in the mines for his friend, but she was nowhere to be found…

Ed came in and found Sora leaving the last cave, looking depressed and sad. Ed asked, "What the Hell's going on with you?! We don't have time for-!"

"She was there…she was there in my past."

Ed calmed down when Sora continued, "Kairi…she's disappeared! She was the closest I got to figuring out who I was, and I lost her! Why would she help me if she was going to ditch me-?!"

"Calm down 'Spiky'!"

Ed patted his friend on the shoulder and said, "We don't have time for Marcoh's notes AND Kairi. She's OK, that's what matters, right?" Sora nodded and walked alongside Ed, who then said, "We'll see her again, so cheer up."

Meanwhile in Crimson's Castle, The Golem King returned to his throne room, went to the counter and poured himself a small glass of grape wine. A small sip followed with some deep thought, _Alright, forget __the negatives of sexual dominance & losing the Keyblade Master. Focus on the positives…OK, I admit, not much happened…except…_

Crimson then pulled out the Riku Replica's Keyblade and said, "Whether you are a set-back or a blessing is NOT the issue…you…are still a Keyblade, a Keyblade that I shall use-."

He then pointed the dark Keyblade upwards at a comatose Alice, who was being kept inside a tube. To Crimson's amusement, the Keyblade complied with his order and shot a beam of red light into Alice's chest! The beam then pulled out a spark of light and sucked it into the Keyblade! The weapon suddenly started changing, becoming even thornier than before!

Crimson continued, "-to steal the Hearts of Light and purge Amestris of it's existence!"

"Sir, it's yer ol' pal Pete!"

Crimson had the Shadow Golems open the doors and give the overweight cat permission to enter. Pete walked into the throne room and announced, "Excuse me sir, but after spying on the Eastern Liberation, I've just received word that the group is preparing to attack Central City!" Crimson took another sip from his glass and smirked, "As I anticipated, the Freezing Alchemist will begin his unorganized decent into madness by delivering his men right to their graves. As the Liberation Front twiddle their fingers, thumbs, and toes in their battle with the military's might, Isaac will take my advice and improve on his specialty: Ice Alchemy. He'll try to form a plan he thinks is unstoppable, and probably try to freeze everyone in cold ice…little does he know that this is a suicide mission!"

Pete then asked, "Sir, I hope you don't mind me asking, but Isaac's a former State Alchemist, he'll probably have a better understanding of how his former allies would react. Why are you acting like he already lost?" Crimson answered, "…let's just say I know somebody who has an 'eye' for rebellious minions."

Crimson then took a small wine glass and a bottle of Xingese Saki and announced, "I'll be heading out to Central. In the meantime, I want you to feed the inmates." Pete then asked, "Inmates? I didn't know there were prisoners-!" But before Pete knew it, Crimson already vanished through the Dark Portal…

Back in Amestris, the Elrics and Sora were on a train heading to Central City. Edward just finished explaining the situation to Sora, who asked, "So Isaac and Xehanort are joining forces?" Ed nodded, "I know, 'what the Hell' right?" Alphonse then said, "Strange, it feels like we're going to war." Sora sighed, "Yeah, against a former State Alchemist even." Ed then said, "He's nothing but a cold-blooded killer now. Yet he still wants to believe in that bull about him saving humanity. When we reach Central, we'll have to go straight to the frontlines. We won't have time for the library when we get there, so we'll have to search for Marcoh's 'truth behind truths' later."

Sora wondered, "I hope the Hughes family can get out of the city, along with Donald, Goofy, Vivi, and Eiko." Jiminy popped out of Sora's hood and said, "Now don't look so glum everybody! You've all struggled through adventures and battles that most men wouldn't dare get involved in! Sora, you survived a ruined city of terror and saved a group of innocent Ishbalins. Alphonse, you had the courage to face a powerful God-like villain like Crimson. And Edward, your leadership was commendable, even during Xenotime and Destiny Islands. You boys aren't going to lose, you're going to win! Yeah, you heard right, the three of you are gonna win! Why that Freezer crook won't know what hit him when you boys kick his-!"

Just then, the train's breaks forcefully shook the trollies, surprising the trio and Jiminy!

"…(gulp) Ah, w-what was that?" Al asked.

Sora, Edward, Alphonse, and Jiminy looked out the window and saw their destination, Central Command, dead ahead. But there was a wall of ice blocking their path! Sora jumped out of the window and climbed on top of the train to get a better look of the situation, and he saw something unbelievable…

"EDWAAAARD, ALPHOOONSE, YOU BETTER COME SEE THIIIIS!"

Al came from the back of their trolley and climbed up a ladder while Ed climbed out of his window to join Sora in the view…

Ed and Al then saw the city over the wall of ice, but it was filled with smoke and explosions…

Ed shook his head in disbelief and said, "(sigh) And so the adventure continues…_**DAMN YOU ADVENTURE!**_"

End of Chapter 100 and Toy Story Arc

* * *

**Next Chapter, Central City's library is open to sinister forces while the trio go to Central by foot...**

**Please Comment!**


	101. Chapter 101

**Last time, as soon as Sora and the Elrics returned home from Andy's Neighborhood, Edward was told some bad news...**

**Xehanort was caught by the military, but was 'liberated' by Isaac McDougal and the Eastern Liberation to crate another Red Stone. With Xehanort gone, and the army heading to Central, Edward's group had little time to waste! They said their goodbyes to Winry and Pinako Rockbell and headed off to ride the train back to Central.**

**Inside his castle, Crimson drank to his eventual victory, using the fabricated Keyblade he made from the Replica's darkness to begin collecting hearts. He also knew Isaac had the chance of failing, courtesy of someone he knew, so he ventured off to Central City to witness the Eastern Liberation's attempt at bringing the military and it's fuhrer to their knees...**

**Meanwhile, Edward spoke with Sora inside the train about the merged alliances of Xehanort and Isaac when suddenly, the train hit the breaks HARD because of what blocked it from Central, an enormous wall of ice...**

**Warning: Kingdom Hearts and Fullmetal Alchemist are both licensed by Square-Enix. The secondary licenses for both franchises are Disney (Kingdom Hearts), Aniplex, Bones Inc., and Funimation (Fullmetal Alchemist). **

**PS: There will be spoilers.**

* * *

Fullmetal Kingdom: The Fanfic

Chapter 101: Events under the Twilight

"We…we can't get to Central! Not when there's a wall of ice in the train's way!" Sora cried out as he watched Central.

Ed took out his suitcase from the trolley and said, "Well we're not beaten if that's what you're insinuating. We're walking from here, so get down from there and start huffing! You ready to go Al?" Al brought out his and Sora's suitcase and replied, "Mm-hmm, lead the way brother."

Sora sighed and climbed down from the top. He then hopped down beside his friends and followed them away from the train…

The trio then found themselves inside a forest, where the sun was setting, and the breeze was getting colder. Sora looked around, worried that some animal was waiting to pounce. He then looked at the Elrics, who walked without saying a word.

(GRUMBLE)

"Are you hungry brother?"

"No way, that wasn't me!"

The Elrics turned around and looked at Sora, whose face was blushing, filled with embarrassment…

"YA HAD TO HAVE DIARRHEA DURING BREAKFAST!"

Sora twiddled his fingers, "S-sorry…(sigh) let's just forget about it and keep going!" Sora's stomach grumbled again, so Ed said to him, "Alright, hold it right there, we can't keep going through the night with your stomach begging for love. We're setting up camp here until the morning!"

Shocked, Sora tried to persuade Ed, "W-WHAT?! Edward we don't have time for a pit stop! We have to keep going, otherwise, Central City and it's library-!" Al then said, "Calm down Sora, think of this as a break from all the serious work we had to do. Besides, Central's only a few miles away, we can make it by the afternoon tomorrow." Al then brought Sora some food, "Here, eat these raspberries while we go out for some fish."

What if there's a restaurant nearby?" Sora asked, Ed replied, "Then we'll wish you came with us." Sora was peeved by Ed's attitude, so he ate some raspberries and followed the Elrics…

Back in Central City, the library was abandoned by the frightened caretakers, so it was easy pickings for a shadowy figure to 'pick' the lock and secretly enter the building…

Once she was inside, Lust threw off her cloak and said to herself, "Tsk-tsk Timothy, hiding such a precious clue to the Philosopher Stone in a public place. I might as well search for-and kill everyone who read here…" The manipulative woman took a candelabrum and lit the candles upon it to search in the darkness. Lust then said to herself, "Hmph, one book in a stack of hundreds, it's like searching for a needle in a stack of needles."

"I'd worry more about your surroundings than a simple needle."

Lust turns around to find the one talking, but to her surprise, a familiar figure steps out of a book section to meet her eyes…

"So it's you then. What are you here for, 'Scarred Man'?"

Scar replied, "…you look like her." Lust wondered, "Whom do I look like?" Scar explained, "A dead woman, but that can't be." Lust smiled and said, "You can never be too sure. After all, our kind has a nasty habit of bringing back the dead." Scar was frustrated, but before he could act, Gluttony came behind him and grabbed him! Gluttony snickered, "(giggle) That smell, it's the Ishbalin with tasty blood on his hands! (Tee-hee) Lust, it's the one called Scar!"

Lust rolled her eyes, "That's because it is him Gluttony. I swear, sometimes I think it's YOU who's more of a problem than the witnesses. You can't even remember to wipe your face off after eating one." Scar smacked Gluttony away. After he did, he saw the cannibalistic man's mouth drenched in blood!

Lust then asked, "Scarred Man, tell me, are you here to fry the Fullmetal pipsqueak? Sorry, but we can't have that. He still needs to blindly search for the Stone after all. Until he comes willingly into our grasp, all we have to do is wait." Scar then realized, "You're using the boy?" Lust smiled, "Silly me, looks like I've said too much."

"_**Oh goody Lust, does that mean I get to eat him to?!**_"

Gluttony then charged at the Ishbalin, and Scar reached out, ready to obliterate his foe!

(CHOMP)

Back in the forest, Sora was eating his roasted fish too quickly!

Alphonse then requested, "S-Sora, you shouldn't eat that fast." Ed then added, "Not to mention eat with your mouth open! Keep that trap shut and chew your food!" Sora apologized, "Showwee gueeth (sorry guys)! If juff the' humma kina gep-p me wem-I affoib ib (It's just that hunger kinda gets me when I avoid it)!" Ed then threatened, "**STOP TALKING, CHEW YOUR FOOD WITH YOUR MOUTH CLOSED, AND WAIT UNTIL**** WE UNDERSTAND YOU! **_**YOU EVEN TRY TO THANK US WITH FISH GUTS IN YOUR MOUTH, AND I'LL MAKE YOU PUKE OUT YOUR ONLY DINNER!**_"

Sora swallowed his food and said, "GEEZ Ed, it's just fish! It's nothing to blow your top over!"

(BAMPH)

Scar's right hand successfully made contact with Gluttony's face, thus killing the fat man instantly…

…or so he thought! Gluttony smiled and continued coming towards him!

"Of course it is, you spoiled little piggy! Careless people like you keep eating until the food hits you where it hurts!" Ed argued.

Gluttony smiled and squeezed Scar's stomach! So Scar retaliated by blowing Gluttony's arm off!

"And that's not all, the girls would do anything to carve out a piece of you and stomp on it for fun!" Ed said.

(SLICE)

Scar jumped away from a book shelf as Lust sliced through it with her long sharp nails! She smiled, threw the candelabra aside, and charged at her target!

"You make it sound like girls are ALWAYS chasing you." Sora said.

Scar was forced off a ledge, pursued by the two freaks. As he landed, he dodged Lust's fingers and Gluttony's body-slam!

"Now-now guys, no need to get hot-headed over nothing!" Al said.

Scar then noticed the library was on fire, courtesy of the candelabra Lust tossed earlier. "Well there goes the evidence. So now there's nothing to fret about…except the witness." Lust smirked. Scar then realized something…

"I see now…**Homunculi**."

Lust smiled, "Clever, I never knew there were still humans who had knowledge of our existence locked in their memory."

Gluttony then charged at Scar, but before he could enjoy another morsel, the Ishbalin used his right hand and created a hole in the ground!

(BRA-COOM)

The dust cleared, and Scar had already vanished.

Gluttony wined, "So sad, Lust, I didn't even get to eat him." Lust looked back at the burning bookshelves and commented, "Yes, I would've loved to verify Marcoh's research, but I guess it makes no difference now. All the boys' clues to the Stone have already gone up in flames. Come Gluttony, we're leaving."

Lust opened the door and headed out, Gluttony however looked down the hole, knowing the scent of Scar was nearby. However, his loyalty was stronger than his stomach, so he headed out as well while muttering, "It's a long way from here to destiny, Scarred Man. Eventually, I will eat you…"

Back in the forest, Sora and Edward were sitting away from one another, retaining their anger for one another. Alphonse then asked, "Sora, do you mind traveling with us?" Sora looked at Al and replied, "…no, I don't." Al then said, "…I owe you an apology Sora." Sora asked, "An apology? Al, there's nothing to be sorry about-." Al then explained, "But Tidus was the only orphan we could find." Sora pointed out, "Don't forget about Edge, Biggs, Wedge and Yeul." Al nodded and continued, "Right-right, I know there should be others, and not only that, but now Rose-…" Sora stared into the fire while eating what's left of his fish, "…I know Al, I know."

Ed then said, "Maybe you should just…go look for'em."

Sora and Al looked at Ed with shocked expressions as he explained, "We've been looking for the Philosopher Stone, but we can't do three things at once. You're the only one here who has friends to find, so you don't have to hang around us all the time." Sora smiled and said, "Sorry, not gonna fly with THAT speck of pixy dust! I was assigned to you Ed; I have to stick to the Y. O. U. T. H. code of honor and protect you…regardless of what I want."

"What you want is to find your friends!"

Ed explained further, "We'll only hold you back if you keep helping us. To us, the Stone is everything…well not more than a single innocent newborn, but you get the idea! Friendship is awesome, but as long as you're with us, you might never see them again-!"

(SHOOM)

To the group's surprise, a black sword plummeted swiftly in the middle of the campfire and extinguished it!

"Sitting in the dirt, eating like barbarians, you've become sloppy Sora."

Ed stood up and yelled, "Who's the ass that played target practice with my fire?!" Just then, a shadowy figure dropped from the trees and spreads a black shockwave, blowing the trio away!

As Sora staggered to get back on his feet, he remembered, "The voice…the Dark Sword…a figure clad in black armor…_**CECIL HARVEY?!**_" Just then, something punched Sora hard in the stomach! The force of the attack had the Keybearer flying into a few trees!

The bodyguard was unconscious, and the Elrics were faced with an invisible foe…

"With the failure out cold, we can really heat things up!" Cecil said.

Edward transmuted his arm blade and said, "You assassins have always been cocky, thinking of your skills and superiority over the choices and abilities of others. Well I'll be happy to say the following words…(ahem)…**I'M BEHIND YOU ASSHOLE!**"

(BA-KA-A-ANG)

Cecil turned around and was surprised by a solid-steel fist that batted away his helmet!

"That…was impressive…Fullmetal Alchemist…"

Cecil's head revealed long light-blonde hair and snow-white skin…as well as a silver band around his head! As Ed saw Cecil's crazy and angered eyes, he said, "You're just like Tidus, aren't you? Wearing a Slave Crown, allowing it's influence to corrupt and twist your mind and soul." Cecil surprised Ed with a swing from his Dark Sword, but Ed dodged the attack and said, "Sora was looking for you guys, but someone placed those stupid headbands on your skulls and played you stooges like a tuba! By the time he wakes up, you'll be free from the crown's control!"

Alphonse surprises Cecil by bringing the campfire back up, "You can't hide when the light sees you!"

Ed followed by delivering a right hook, but the knight was a professional at combat, so he moved out of the way and batted the Fullmetal on the back and swung his sword at him!

(SCRASH)

As Ed fell to the ground, Alphonse came to him while Cecil said to his deceased foe, "I was taught not to coddle the weak. Flimsy prey like you can always be defeated by the experienced and the just! Such is my cause for seeking out the traitor, Sora!" Al then said, "So the brainwashed assassins…they're after Sora!" Cecil answered, "Brainwashed? Empty husk, we have been enlightened by the crown's power. Despite his lower ranks, Sora is still of Y. O. U. T. H., and has the knowledge of our battles and techniques. The crowns heighten our power so we can overpower any and ALL obstacles, including a normal member of our order! You can't predict the force of nature if nature catches you by surprise."

"SURPRISE, KNIGHT BOY!"

Edward shocked Cecil and kicked him away!

As the Fullmetal stood back up, he said, "Alphonse, take Sora to Central, I'm afraid the camp trip's been canceled." Al then said, "N-no, I won't leave you behind-!" Ed then said, "You're not, you're just going to find the dummy a place to rest while we handle the heavy-lifting. Until you get back, I'll keep this guy from following you."

Al nodded, "A-Alright, wait for me brother!" He wasted no time and carried Sora away!

Cecil then said, "Protecting your protector? You should've had our brother stay and fight; at least it could've been a fair fight. There's no humor in fighting a 'lesser' like you." Ed smiled and said, "Kettle-brain, you have no clue what a 'lesser' like me can reduce you to! All you can do…is bitch."

Edward transmuted a katana from a nearby tree and stood ready…

End of Chapter 101

* * *

**Next Chapter, the Fullmetal battles for his life when he's up against a deadly knight from Y. O. U. T. H...**

**Please Comment!**


	102. Chapter 102

**Last time, the train Sora and the Elric Brothers were riding to Central on was shockingly blocked by ice, so the trio had to huff it on foot. While traveling, they passed through beautiful forests, ate fish, and camped under the starry sky...**

**Back in Central however, Lust was determined to find and destroy anything Marcoh left for Ed, Al, and Sora to find, so she searched the first branch library. But as she searched she encountered Scar, who seemed to recognize her as somebody. Before any questions could be answered, Gluttony appeared and alongside Lust, the two attacked the Ishbalin. Scar then realized something about his enemy...they weren't human, they were Homunculi. At the end of the battle, Scar blew a hole in the ground and retreated. However, Lust was satisfied, knowing that during their confrontation with Scar, they succeeded in destroying the library, and Marcoh's clues with it...**

**Edward, Sora and Alphonse meanwhile were getting closer to Central, but during their dinner, they were attacked by another Y.O.U.T.H. Assassin, a knight named Cecil, who wore a Slave Crown, and was filled with rage against Sora, similar to Tidus' hatred. Cecil instantly defeated the Keyblade Master, but the Fullmetal Alchemist wasn't going to allow a victory. He challenged Cecil while Alphonse carried Sora away...**

**Warning: Kingdom Hearts and Fullmetal Alchemist are both licensed by Square-Enix. The secondary licenses for both franchises are Disney (Kingdom Hearts), Aniplex, Bones Inc., and Funimation (Fullmetal Alchemist). **

**PS: There will be spoilers.**

* * *

Fullmetal Kingdom: The Fanfic

Chapter 102: Cecil's Doubts

"This crown…will make you stronger. Don't think, just go with it, take the crown and put it on."

Cecil was cautious, staring at the silver headband and remembering the Slave Crown's power over the mind. Cecil then asked, "So you're saying I can save them…all of them?" The scientist replied, "Of course you can. All of those assassins are lost and in need of a rescue, and there's only one crown left. Forget what you've heard, those were just rumors anyway."

"R-rumors?" Cecil asked. The scientist explained, "Why the rumors made by Sora, the black sheep of Y. O. U. T. H. As a fellow scientist of your former orphanage, I have eyes and ears that notice anything out of place, including the false information made up by a certain spiky-haired failure. The truth is, the Slave Crown enhances your abilities and transforms you into a powerful AND deadlier assassin. Imagine what amount of days it could take for you to survey the entire country of Aerugo AND Amestris with just a few hours to spare."

Cecil was silent for a while, and then the scientist said, "Stop waiting for their suffering, save them." And with that, Cecil grabbed the crown and placed it on his head!

"My honor rests upon this mission. For my brethren, I'll rid the world of all enemies, _**EVEN YOU, EDWARD ELRIC!**_"

Back in the Current time, Cecil and Edward were continuing their battle!

(BA-TANG)

"We're…not…your enemies Cecil!" Edward said. Cecil pushed Edward back and thrust his sword at the young State Alchemist!

"The guy who told you the Crown's properties; HE'S the liar!" Ed said as he dodged the Dark Sword.

Ed continued to jump and leap out of the sword's way until Cecil pulled his sword back, started charging a black form of light, and then, fires 4 shots of black orbs at Edward!

But strangely, the orbs passed Ed, making the Fullmetal yell, "USE A GUN NEXT TIME, SISSY!"

"It's Cecil, but if I were you, I'd be aware of the trap I set for you."

Ed was confused, but then he realized, "Those dark balls, you meant to miss me!" Cecil smiled, "You're partly correct, however-."

Just then, Edward's body was pushed rapidly at Cecil, who sliced through Ed and shot him away with a blaze of dark fire!

Ed staggered back on his feet, but was met by Cecil's blade, which he immediately defended against with his arm-blade!

"You should've run with your life-sized doll!" Cecil yelled as his blade was drawing closer to Edward's cheek. Ed kicked him away and charged at him!

Meanwhile, Alphonse arrived in Central City after rigorously running through the forest. Alphonse then saw armies rallying together while ice pillars were coming up around town.

Al then said to himself, "Isaac's already tearing the city apart, but with Sora out cold and Ed fighting an assassin, what good would I be against the enemy? (sigh) First things first, I need to take Sora somewhere he can rest."

As Alphonse ran through the city, Sora was starting to come to…

As he opened his eyes, he noticed someone run into an alley…

"…stop running Alphonse."

Al stopped and looked at Sora, "Y-you're awake, I'm glad you're back with us!" Sora then jumped down from Al's arms and held his head in pain while saying, "…I-Isaac…McDougal…he went…" Sora fell back, but Al caught him in time and asked, "Sora be careful, that Cecil hit you pretty hard-ISAAC?! You saw Isaac?!" Sora shook off his dizzy feeling and ran to the alley, "Yes, the torn sleeve, the hairstyle; that was definitely the Freezing Alchemist! We have to catch him before he escapes again!"

Sora and Alphonse ran into the alley, but as they did, members of the Eastern Liberation Front greeted them with guns and blades ready!

"FOR AMESTRIS'S FREEDOM!"

The liberators charged at the duo, but unfortunately for them, they were each met with defeat!

Alphonse's martial arts and brutal punches sent the liberators flying from one side while Sora's Keyblade attacks and elemental spells blew the liberators away on the other.

"We'll be encountering more as we go, so just plow through them when they come!" Al advised.

Elsewhere…

(CRASH)

Liberators broke into houses and buildings, including the Hughes', where Gracia held Elicia close. The first liberator unsheathed his sword and yelled, "Your husband will soon follow!"

(VOOSH)

Suddenly, a large amount of water washed the liberators out!

"Vivi?" Gracia wondered. Vivi ran down the stairs, but slipped when he made it down. "A-are you both alright?" Gracia and Alicia nodded, and then the mother said, "Come children, we're hiding in the basement!" Vivi nodded and called out, "EIKO, WE'RE MOVING!" Eiko ran down and complained, "BUT SORA'S NOT HERE YET! I'm waiting for him Vivi, and you can't-!"

(BLAM)

Cannon-fire caught Eiko by surprise as one flew behind her and tore through the closet!

"…L-ladies first Vivi, let the Hughes' lady lead the way!"

Back in the forest, Edward was clashing blades with Cecil, wondering what his enemy will try to do next…

"At least you're more of a challenge than the last Y. O. U. T. H. loser, Tidus! It took Sora only an hour to save, and here you are proving to be more of a pain in the ass! You're actually intending to keep me away from your Slave Crown!" Edward commented while attacking. Cecil then said, "Tidus was one level higher than Sora, but his playful nature and temper proved to be his downfall, I will not fail like he did in killing your faithful pup!"

(BA-TANG)

"**Here Cecil, this shell will bring you luck."**

Cecil suddenly jumped back and covered his face, "W-what was-…" Cecil decided to shake off the strange shock, and then blocked the Fullmetal's assault!

Cecil was starting to sweat, so Edward said, "Getting tired, huh? I figured you were one of those 'tough guys', but you're melting like a candle. Why don't you admit you've met your match before I light you like a fuse!" Cecil answered, "Dishonorable sprite, I shall not waver, I SHALL CONQUER!"

"**It's only a shell, why would I need this at all?"**

"**I was just trying to be nice Cecil. You always look so sad."**

"**I DON'T NEED YOUR PITY!"**

Edward then noticed the Red Stone on the Slave Crown giving out small sparks of power. Then he noticed Cecil's furious face. Ed thought to himself, _Is he…fighting the crown's control? That might be the case, but the guy had no problem attacking__-WAIT, THAT'S IT!_

"You CAN'T kill Sora, can you?!"

Edward jumped backwards to dodge Cecil's attacks while saying, "You still remember him, who he was, the promise he made, that dopey smile! He was too much of a friend than a foe, and somehow, you remember that feeling! He was a good friend of yours, wasn't he?!" Cecil snapped, "YOU HAVE NO UNDERSTANDING OF WHAT TRANSPIRED BETWEEN US! WE ARE OF Y. O. U. T. H.; YOU ARE A WHINING BRAT, TRICKED INTO BEING A STOOGE FOR AMESTRIS! HE IS MY SWORN ENEMY; HE IS Y. O. U. T. H.'S SWORN ENEMY!"

"But he smiled at you, despite your distant personality! He confessed why his friends were important! He made that clear when he looked you in the eyes and smiled! I know you know what I mean, your eyes look like the eyes of someone who nearly lost a friend!"

"**(cough-cough) I-I'm sorry Cecil…I didn't understand you…"**

**He did smile…even after I pushed him into that riverbed. I could've killed him a few minutes ago…I could have let him drown years ago…but I jumped in anyway…I couldn't…wouldn't let him die that way…or anyway…he just wanted to show me that my life isn't as dark as my armor…he wanted me to be happy…but how could I…how could I…**

"_**HOW COULD I BE HAPPY AFTER I NEARLY KILLED HIM?!"**_

Ed was surprised by Cecil's scream, but the danger was far from over! The Dark Knight's body started letting out black mist…

Edward de-transmuted his Arm-Blade and formed a spear. He then yelled, "**NEXT TIME YOU ASSHOLES NEED SOMEONE TO SAVE YOU,**_** SAVE YOURSELVES!**_"

Edward then jumped towards his opponent, shredding through his armor with his spear! He bounced off a tree and shredded through the other side!

Edward then changes his spear into a large, metal glove and bashes the chest plate off! "That…hurt…" Cecil said as he stood back up. Edward transmuted another metal first and prepared to pummel his adversary, but Cecil raised his hand and fired an explosive ball of dark flame!

Cecil then sliced through Edward and threw his sword into the air, and after jumping over Ed, he caught-and threw his sword down towards the Fullmetal! Edward successfully avoided the killing blow, but he failed to notice Cecil storing up dark power from behind…

…and slashing through Edward! Following the attack, Cecil unleashed a horde of black flame upon Edward, burning him in a blazing tower of fire!

"_**RRRRRRRRAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAGGGGGHHHH!**_"

In Traverse Town, Sora and Alphonse heard Edward's scream! Alphonse worried, "It's Ed, my brother needs me-!" Sora pulled Al back and said, "But we have to catch up with the Freezing Alchemist! Besides, Ed can handle Cecil!" Al then said, "What makes you so sure?! My brother's only human, and he's dealing with one of the assassins who DON'T spare lives! He needs me!" Sora shook his head and explained, "Cecil will lose Al, trust me on that, I know my friends."

Al complained, "HE'S BEING CONTROLLED BY A SLAVE CROWN SORA! Tidus was your friend, and the Slave Crown changed him into your would-be executioner!" Sora explained further, "Cecil has something that Edward can root out…his inner hero. Y'see, Cecil may be a bit of a stiff, but when he notices something wrong, he is overcome by a great and powerful guilt, making him dive in like a hero and try to save the day! This guilt is VERY powerful Al, not even a Slave Crown can douse such an emotion. Edward will win; after all, it's a one on-!"

Sora suddenly stopped talking when his face started to look distressed. Al asked, "Sora, what is it?" Sora said, "…the constant ally of the air dancers…" Sora then looked at Al and said, "Cecil never fought alone on a 'difficult' mission! We might have to-!"

(SMACK)

A mighty wallop from a wooden staff caught Sora by surprise as Donald angrily asked, "WHAT TOOK YOU SO LONG SORA?! WHILE YOU AND THE ELRICS WERE LOOKING FOR YOUR RUBY, TERRORISTS BEGAN ATTACKING!" Goofy tried to calm Donald down, "Now-now, they're here, and that's what's important! Hi there guys, it's good to see y'all again!"

"Donald…and Goofy…THAT'S IT!"

Sora then said, "Guys, follow Alphonse to where Edward is! I'm afraid he'll need some extra assistance against two Y. O. U. T. H. Assassins!" Donald was surprised by Sora's idea, "T-TWO?! What are you talking about?!" Sora turned to Al and said, "I'm sorry for not thinking about your brother Alphonse. Go help him out, and take Donald and Goofy with you!" Al then said, "W-Wait a minute, why aren't you coming with us?" Sora explained, "I'm closing the fridge on Isaac! Just go, I'll be fine!"

Alphonse nodded, and said, "…we'll regroup by the Central Fountain!"

And with that, Donald & Goofy headed off with Alphonse leading the way! As Sora watched them go, he trued away and headed further into the city, trying to follow Isaac.

End of Chapter 102

* * *

**Next Chapter, the battle between Edward an Cecil draws to a close until another assassin arrives...**

**Please Comment!**


	103. Chapter 103

**Last time, Cecil was driven by the Slave Crown's influence and the lies told to him to completely obliterate Edward, who had no desire to do the same to Sora's former friend. Edward reached out to him, trying to snap him out of the Slave Crown's control, but to no avail. But Ed realized something, though Cecil was being controlled by the Crown, he was NOT planning on killing Sora. In fact, an accident in the past caused Cecil to regret mistreating Sora. Cecil was driven mad by his grief, the Slave Crown increased whatever strength he had left, and he unleashed a devastating attack of swords and fire, instantly defeating Edward!  
**

**Back in Central's small town, Traverse Town, Alphonse carried Sora while trying to find a safe place for him to rest, but when Sora regained consciousness, he noticed Isaac, and the two followed him, all the while being attacked by his army of Liberators. Hearing Edward's scream of agony made Al wonder if he was safe, so Sora asked Donald and Goofy to follow Al and aid him against Cecil, and perhaps another assassin who mostly accompanies the dark knight...**

**Warning: Kingdom Hearts and Fullmetal Alchemist are both licensed by Square-Enix. The secondary licenses for both franchises are Disney (Kingdom Hearts), Aniplex, Bones Inc., and Funimation (Fullmetal Alchemist). **

**PS: There will be spoilers.**

* * *

Fullmetal Kingdom: The Fanfic

Chapter 103: Wings Overhead

"(maniacal laughter) Now this IS a pleasant surprise, the Freezing Alchemist, paying an old war buddy a visit!"

A few weeks ago, before Isaac's forces attacked Central City, Isaac went to a prison, where he spoke with a prisoner, who was also a State Alchemist turned traitor…

"A 'war buddy', please Zolf, I knew no 'buddies' in the Ishbalin Massacre, I only knew the bastards and their mad dogs." Isaac explained. Zolf then asked, "You do realize I'm no different, right?! That I'm what most liberators AND doctors call a 'mad dog'? The names are as they come; Zolf J. Kimblee, the Mad Bomber of the military, the Red Lotus of Ishbal, and let's not forget my main title, the 'Crimson Alchemist' (snicker)."

Isaac then said, "You also took pride in what you did! You ripped those soldiers apart with your alchemy, didn't you? You must have had a reason-!"

"Let me just stop you right there before you keep blabbering like a dick!" Kimblee said before he went on, "You seem to believe my methods were sophisticated, like I believed in honor and justice, but the truth of the matter is the complete opposite of your imagination. I killed my men…**becau****se I could!**"

"_Y-YOU CAN'T BE THAT SAVAGE!_" Isaac said. Kimblee smiled cruelly and said, "Where the Hell have you been, lost in your own blizzard? I meant what I said, I wanted to do it, to see what it looked like, to bask in the beauty of human physiology _**by tearing the physiology apart**_, piece by explosive piece."

"…that's a shame Zolf…that was a real shame. We could've been a great team."

Isaac walked away, leaving behind a path of frozen soldiers he encountered on the way over…

Back in current time, the forest was silent after Cecil defeated Ed. The dark knight walked to the Fullmetal, then he said, "The Slave Crown gave me a power I never imagined, yet though I am victorious…I still…"

Cecil clenched his fists in sorrow…

…then in anger, he took the Slave Crown off and threw it far away!

"No more blindness to evil…no more cowardice…no more treachery." Cecil said as he brought out a Potion. He gave it to Edward, who drank the entire bottle and looked upon his former foe.

"You're missing your crown, princess." Ed said mockingly.

Cecil smiled, "It's for the best Edward. The Slave Crown was merely a means to cheat, and a knight should never call upon such darkness to win. I admit to my faults, and my cowardice, so I ask, can you ever forgive a fool?" Ed replied, "…not sure if you've noticed, but I'm no different from any other fool you've met. My leg and arm were a price to pay for an empty promise, and an irreplaceable brother."

"He speaks of Human Transmutation, Cecil."

To Edward's surprise, another knight dropped from a nearby tree and approached Cecil!

The knight continued, "The boy has taken away his brother's flesh and blood with only a leg to spare. Such horrid action can be reason enough to destroy him." Cecil stood up and said, "I was told a similar story, however…this alchemist has shown mercy to Sora…and many others. I remained blind to his actions, which have shown courage, honesty, and a willing spirit! My punishment stands here, the vision of a battered and beaten opponent, wrongfully accused and declared an enemy! Such horror cannot be ignored, Kain! I have been following orders blindly, _AS HAVE YOU!_"

The knight was shocked at Cecil's words, and said, "Orders are orders Cecil, forgive me, but we will have to discuss this _**after**_ the execution." As the knight faced Edward, the Fullmetal asked, "…you a friend of his?" The knight replied, "A friend to Cecil, the skies, and the dragons. _**I am Kain Highwind!**_"

Kain thrusts his spear at Edward, but to his surprise, the Fullmetal caught the spear! Kain suspected, "Your arm…is Automail. So, Cecil was dueling with a pup of the military, and not just any pup, but _THE_ pup, the young luck-struck youth of the Amestris Military, Edward Elric." Ed smiled, "I'm glad my reputation's so infamous, especially to brainwashed assassins!"

Kain surprisingly pushes Edward away and begins attacking relentlessly with his spear!

"Eventually, the spear will find you…" Kain said as Edward dodged the thrusts!

(SLASH)

The spear started shredding through Ed's coat, then near his sides…

Edward thought, _He's not stopping…not even breaking a sweat! I can't keep up with his speed!_

"**KAIN, STOP IT!**"

Cecil grabbed Kain's spear and said, "Have you no shame?! He seeks to change his brother back to normal!" Edward then asked, "Just how long were you spying on us?!"

Kain answered, "Since Xenotime. Your actions, your movements, every word uttered from your lips were watched by us, your bodyguard's former family! We even know of your friendship with the inhuman creature!"

"Donald or Goofy? If it's them you're worried about, I'm pretty sure they're potty-trained-."

"Cease your constant jokes, I mean the teenage girl!"

"…Kairi?"

Kain suddenly batted Cecil away with the back of his right fist and proceeded to stabbing Edward!

(BRA-KOOM)

A cannon-ball caught Kain off-guard as Alphonse charged in, "BROTHER!" Ed smiled as he, Donald, and Goofy charged into battle!

Donald used Cure on Edward and healed his wounds while Goofy and Alphonse stood in Kain's way. Kain instantly flung his spear into Alphonse and knocked Goofy away! But to Kain's shock, Alphonse was still standing, pulling away from Ed by his spear! Kain then remembered, "The brother of no body, I forgot your advantage!"

Al then punched Kain away and broke his spear in half! Al then bawled his fists together and said, "Lets finish this!" Kain then said, "Y. O. U. T. H. finishes all, whether it is by sword, strength-!" Just then, Kain transmuted a spear from the ground and continued, "-OR SURPRISE!"

Kain charged and swung his spear at Al; Al dodged it, but just barely, and was surprised to find the spear easily sliced through his side! While continuously attacking, Kain explained, "Mithril Alloy can cut through steel like a knife to butter! I can surpass the art of Transmutation Circles and instantly forge Mithril out of thin air as a weapon! Now enough running you walking void, FIGHT!"

While Al tried to fight back, Donald was just about finished healing Edward. Edward then said, "…he can't…ugh…can't create Mithril from wood, dirt and grass…" Donald then said, "Cram it, 'Thorin'! This healing thing takes a while to complete, concentration is the key, so stay quiet and let me do my job!" Edward ignored Donald and said, "He's hiding something…ugh…something obvious…if I can just-…ugh…" Donald then said, "Save the thinking for later Ed, you have to keep calm otherwise I can't heal you properly. You only have one body, minus the right arm and left leg. Replaceable as they are, YOU are irreplaceable-."

"**THAT'S IT, AN **_**IRREPLACEABLE**_** COMPONENT!**"

Ed called out, "Alphonse, the tip of his spear, TAKE THAT AWAY AND HE CAN'T CUT THROUGH YOU ANYMORE!" Al wondered, _Does Ed mean…the Mithril tip?_

Kain thrusts his spear at Alphonse, targeting the blood seal, but to the Dragon Knight's surprise, the metal brother caught the spear! Kain however kicked him away and jumped high into the tree branches!

Cecil yelled, "Be careful, Kain's jump is his specialty! _**THE DRAGOON'S PRIDE IS COMING!**_"

(rustle, rustle)

Al stood poised, listening to the tree branches above him, knowing that somehow, somewhere, Kain would strike…

Goofy stood up, dusted himself, and stood beside Alphonse, "So…where's the pointy-knight go?" Al quickly shushed Goofy and said, "Kain's preparing an aerial attack…be ready to move…"

(rustle…)

(rustle…)

(rustle, rustle…)

The area went silent…

…

…

…

(VOOSH)

"_**YOUR BODYGUARD SHOULD'VE STAYED TO DEFEND SUCH WEAKLINGS!**_"

The tree branches were torn through by Kain's spear!

"ALPHONSE!" Ed stood up and rushed towards Al.

Kain plummeted towards Al and prepared to take his life when suddenly-

(CRASH)

(CRAK-KESH)

Goofy and Alphonse simultaneously dodged and sliced the spear into pieces!

Ed and Donald stood dumbstruck at their friend's success at a counter attack!

Kain jumped back and said, "I admit, you caught me off guard, _b__ut as long as I'm standing,__** the will of the Dragon will always-**_wheh?"

"Donald look, somebody dropped a diamond!"

Kain suddenly noticed Goofy holding the Mithril tip! As he stood dumbfounded, Goofy said, "Some people are just forgetful, (ahyuk)! I'll just have to find who this belongs to! It's probably Cid's." And with that, Goofy ran back into Central City. Kain was about to chase him when-

(KA-POW)

Alphonse delivered a mighty right hook and blew his helmet away!

"Nice shot Al!" Edward said as he stepped over the unconscious Dragon Knight. The Fullmetal picked up the helmet and reached into it until he pulled the Slave Crown out!

"Enslavement, in the palm of your hand? **GET A NEW HOBBY XEHANORT!**" Edward threw the crown in the air, transmuted a slingshot, and shot through the Red Stone, shattering it to pieces!

Cecil came to Kain's side and tried to wake him, but before he could, Ed patted him on the shoulder and said, "There's an apartment building close by, that's where Tidus is! Stay there until we come back!" Cecil nodded, but wondered, "Are you going to look for Sora?" Ed nodded, "Of course, he's my friend after all. I can't leave him for a minute otherwise he'll get himself killed!"

Cecil watched as Donald and the Elrics ran back into the city, then he said, "Let's go Kain; we can't rest out here…" Cecil then picked up the unconscious form of Kain and carried him by the arm over his shoulder and started walking to the city…

Meanwhile, back in Central City, Isaac McDougal ran to an alleyway, where he scrounged through some wreckage while saying, "Please be there, please be there!" As soon as the Freezer was finished, he saw the Transmutation Circle he drew earlier intact. He sighed, "Ah, still there! But the men can't hold off the bastards for long, I've got to act now-!"

"**TRAITOR ISAAC MCDOUGAL, YOU ARE UNDER ARREST!**"

Isaac clenched his fists and turned around to find Sora standing before him, pointing the Keyblade at him!

"Whatever you have planned ends tonight, I'M PUTTING YOU ON ICE!"

End of Chapter 103

* * *

**Next Chapter, Sora confronts the Freezing Alchemist, but the hero learns first hand what Isaac's plan truly was...**

**Please Comment!**


	104. Chapter 104

**Last time, Cecil's victory over the Fullmetal Alchemist wasn't without regrets, thus, he threw the Slave Crown off willingly, but as soon as he and Ed made up, Cecil's ally, Kain, a Dragon Knight from Y. O. U. T. H., dropped down and attempted to finish the Fullmetal. Fortunately, Edward and Cecil were aided by the timely arrival of Alphonse, Donald, and Goofy. The battle was grueling and hellish, but destroying the knight's Mythril Spear and taking the spear head was all the group needed to defeat Kain and remove the Slave Crown from his head!**

**Back in Central, Isaac ran to an empty alleyway to check on one of his Transmutation Circles when suddenly, Sora caught him and tried to place him under arrest...**

**Warning: Kingdom Hearts and Fullmetal Alchemist are both licensed by Square-Enix. The secondary licenses for both franchises are Disney (Kingdom Hearts), Aniplex, Bones Inc., and Funimation (Fullmetal Alchemist). **

**PS: There will be spoilers.**

* * *

Fullmetal Kingdom: The Fanfic

Chapter 104: The Heroic Villain?

"…you…put ME on ice? (chuckle) HA-HA-HA-HA-HA-HA-HA-HAAAAAAAAA!"

Isaac laughed as Sora stood before him, ready to fight. Isaac then asked, "Do you know who you're saying that to, kid?! I'm the Freezing Alchemist-!" Sora corrected, "_WAS_ the Freezing Alchemist. That was your nickname given to you by Fuhrer King Bradley as a State Alchemist! You betrayed them; killed most of your own men, and now, you are a traitor thirsting for the blood of the innocent! Scum like you makes me sick!"

"Scum…like me?" Isaac shook his head and said, "Stupid little boy, it's 'scum' like me who're trying to save this country!" Sora was appalled, "_**SAVE IT?!**_" Sora quickly charged at the Freezer when the man grabbed his Keyblade and grabbed Sora by the collar of his shirt, "I'd prefer not to kill kids, so take your toys and run back to the play-pin you came from!"

Isaac threw Sora back and reached into his pockets while Sora yelled, "I'm not running McDougal, and neither are you!" Isaac pulled out his hands and said, "Clearly, but who's running?"

Suddenly, Sora noticed two rings on both Isaac's index fingers shining with a bright red glow! Sora realized, "…the rings…just like the ones Cornello had…the fake…he gave you similar rings!" Isaac answered, "He gave me one, yes, but the other was a gift from Xehanort! He shared my goals, my vision, and my hatred for the military, so he shared his knowledge with me and forged another Red Ring for me, so that my power can be tripled, _and I can incase this God-forsaken city inside __**lifeless and eternal ice!**_"

In the town square, Goofy looked around for Cid's Shop, hoping to 'return' the Mithril tip of Kain's spear to him. Goofy wondered, "Gwarsh, if I were Cid, where would I be? I know, buying a beer, (ahyuk)! I'll just check for him and if he's not there, I'll ask for directions-!"

(VI-ZOOOSH)

To Goofy's shock, a red bolt of alchemy shot through the ground, blasting Goofy into the air!

"_**GAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA-HO-HO-HO-HUEEEEE!**_"

Goofy landed in the fountain, and got out in time to see more bolts come up around the town! Goofy then said, "(ahyuk) This must be Amestris's way of having a lightning storm-. _**L-L-L-LIG**__**HTNING STORM?!**_" Goofy rushed into a random house when the widow yelled, "Who're you?! GET OUTTA HERE!"

(BOOT)

Goofy was kicked out in an instant, and landed on his face!

"And THAT'S why we don't enter other houses in newer Square-Enix games…ouch."

"ISAAAAAAAAAAAC!"

Back in the Alleyway, Sora started another charge, but to his surprise, behind Isaac, bursts a gigantic pillar of ice! Sora then noticed a similar light occurring nearby, then another coming from the left side of the city, then the right! Countless bolts of red light were coming around the city, making Sora realize, "So this was your plan…during all the mayhem your army caused against the military, you secretly drew Transmutation Circles, marks for your transmutation to occur…"

"_**Number 516 of **__**Y. O. U. T. H., Sora, adopted son of the Hughes family!**_" Sora turned around to face Isaac, who continued, "The records of you were hard to find, luckily, Cecil and Kain had no problem recovering it." Sora then said, "I was right…Cecil and Kain WERE under your control! You were probably the same person who captured them along with the others!"

Isaac explained, "The man you want to blame and question…is **Xehanort**…AND the former Brigadier General, **Basc Grand!**" Sora was shocked, "Grand?! But…he's dead!" Isaac continued, "Before meeting his maker, Grand and Xehanort were partners, in what you might ask? Sabotage and declaration to war! Xehanort explained it all to me, how Grand was planning a war with neighboring countries, and how he missed the joys of taking lives, I was sick to my stomach after hearing such barbaric secrets! Grand supplied him the soldiers, and Xehanort supplied the army, forced to forge countless Slave Crowns to use and control the assassins, I knew in order to annihilate the enemy, I had to play fire with fire, so I requested the location of two assassins to use. The alchemist was kind enough to give me two of them, who were still held captive in a secret facility only he knew of. I reprogramed them and took them with me, so that my plans would have no interference from you, AND your puppeteers in blue!"

"So, the blame goes straight to Xehanort…where is he?" Sora asked, "Isaac replied, "Sorry, he's an ally, and I'll sooner die in battle than live to confess his location!" Sora surprised Isaac with multiple sword slices, pushing him back towards the fence near a river! Sora pointed his blade at the Freezing Alchemist and ordered, "TELL ME NOW!"

"You dedicated your life to the people, and your clients, the Elric Brothers, but are you so blinded by the safety of some Y. O. U. T. H. assassins that you can't see your military or the 'people' for what they and their plans are?!" Isaac asked, Sora instead yelled, "I'm not interested in your vendetta; I want my friends back-!"

"_**DON'T BE A FOOL SORA!**_"

Isaac's burst of fear stopped Sora, the Freezer then said, "You must understand, if I don't stop _**him**_, _**he'll**_ lead us all to ruin! _**He**_ made all of us murderers who enjoy the color of blood and the taste for battle! If we don't stop _**him**_ now, another Y. O. U. T. H. will be born, and children will once again be raised as psychotic killers! _**I HAVE TO STOP THE MADNESS; I'M ONLY DOING WHAT NEEDS TO BE DONE!**_"

"…you mean…someone who's not Xehanort…right?"

Isaac nodded.

"You're talking about Bradley, aren't you?"

Isaac shook his head, "…no…"

Sora then asked, "…who's the reason for all of this?"

Isaac answered, "…it's…not safe to talk…the **Homunculi** might be listening-!"

(BANG, BANG, BANG)

Before Isaac could explain, a group of soldiers arrived and shot at him!

"HOLD YOUR FIRE, HOLD YOUR-!" Before Sora could finish, Isaac summoned a pillar of Ice and hopped aboard to escape! The pillar then changed into a wall of ice as the wall was growing longer, heading towards another marking of ice!

As the soldiers and Sora chased the Freezing Alchemist, Sora thought, _Isaac said someone was controlling the military…and it wasn't Bradley. But it makes no sense…was he trying to trick me? And then he said __**Homunculi**__ were listening…just what are Homunculi?_

In the town square, Edward, Donald, Alphonse and Goofy arrived while looking for Sora. Ed called out, "HEY, SORA, WHERE THE HELL ARE YOU?!"

(BR-R-R-R-R-R-R-R-R-R-R-R)

Al then noticed a wall of ice coming by, as shocked as he was, Al found something even more shocking, "Brother, it's Isaac, he's riding that ice wall!" Ed looked up and saw Isaac ride by. Ed then gritted his teeth and said, "Asshole…this alchemy he's forged, he must be freezing all the moisture in the air…(grumble), if he thinks he can run away from me again, then HE'S GOT ANOTHER THING COMING!" Edward transmuted a pillar of stone and chased the Freezing Alchemist while Alphonse yelled, "Wait brother, we have to stop his alchemy! (grumble) Stubborn little-!"

Just then, Al and the Genomes notice Sora passing by! Donald called out, "SORA, OVER HERE!" Sora looked to his right and noticed the trio, "Alphonse, Donald, and Goofy, you made it! W-wait, where's Edward?!" Goofy explained, "He's gone after that Freezing bloke! But for now, that's not the problem!" Donald nodded, "He's right, the alchemy, and right now, there are multiple Transmutation Circles activating all through the city, and each one is summoning a large amount of ice!" Al then said, "Strangely enough, the walls are connecting, like a Transmutation Circle!"

"Yes, and not just any circle, one that's built all around Central City."

King Bradley approached Sora, Al, and the Genomes, who saluted him. The fuhrer looked around and said, "I'm afraid the Freezer seeks to turn this entire town into a wasteland of cold, lifeless ice. I've given orders to destroy the Circles creating this Ice; you four may want to start looking." Al then reported, "Sir, my brother's gone after Isaac, so is it alright if I-."

Bradley replied, "-If you go after him and help? I see no reason why not. Just get going while we destroy the Circles." Al nodded, then Sora said, "As soon as I'm done, I'll come back to offer some assistance. After all, the Freezing Alchemist has two Red Rings, there's no telling what he'll do when he uses them!" Al nodded, "Right, good luck." Al and Sora shook hands and separated while Donald, Goofy and Bradley headed out in different parts of the city…

Donald located the first circle and used the Fire spell to try and destroy it, but the Ice kept reforming! So Donald took matters in his own hands and yelled, "QUAKE!" And instantly, the ground beneath the Circle crumbled and destroyed the Circle!

Goofy located the second Circle, but it was protected by an impenetrable Ice wall! So Goofy stepped back a few inches and attacked with the Tornado, a spinning attack that was taught to Goofy in order to break through even the most powerful walls! But he bounced off the instant his attack connected!

Goofy thought for a while until he noticed a few construction workers…

"Excuse me fellers, but do ya have anything that could destroy Ice in an instant?"

Minutes later, the construction workers lined the Ice with dynamite…

(BRA-KOOM)

And blew off a large amount of Ice!

But as they watched, Goofy and the construction workers noticed the Ice reforming! Goofy then said, "Since the Ice is almost destroyed…" He then used the Tornado move again and tore through a small bit of the wall! Seeing how close they were, Goofy said, "Here's the plan, we'll tear through this and other Ice walls with Dynamite, then I'll try to break through it with my attacks, and at the same time, use your drills, jackhammers, anything to dig through the Ice to assist! We'll have to repeat this process, so let's move before the entire city's frozen!" The workers saluted and began bringing out more dynamite…

Donald found the third Circle and used Quake again, destroying the Circle!

Sora noticed Donald's Quakes a mile away and said, "He's enjoying his work too much…still, I can't let THEM have all the fun!" Sora then found the fourth Circle and unleashed a foray of Fire spells, melting through the Ice…

"_**AAAAAAAAAAND**_ it's not working?!" Sora said as he witnessed the Ice regenerating! Sora looked at his Keyblade and thought to himself, _If Fire magic isn't enough to melt __Ice, then what is?_

"Try focusing your magic on your weapon."

Sora turned around and noticed Crimson sitting on a rocking-chair while pouring some wine in a small glass. As he poured, Crimson said, "In times of crisis, the Keyblade Wielders strengthen their elemental spells by fusing them with a powerful equal. That equal is usually in the form of a weapon, such as the Keyblade. The idea is simple, you mix the fires with your Keyblade, forming a temporary bond of metal and magic, and unleashing a stronger Fire upon your target."

Sora then asked, "Wouldn't that burn my hands?" Crimson replied, "Only if you touch it. Your hands don't create the flame, your Keyblade does. The key to containing the Fire in your weapon is Focus, Concentration, _**AND NO JACKASSERY**_! Just keep the Fire inside the weapon by focusing on the weapon and NOT the Ice. (sip) Mmm, Cranberry!"

Sora still didn't trust the Golem King, but he had limited options, so he closed his eyes and tried to focus his Fire magic on his Keyblade…

Crimson watched as Sora breathed slowly, holding his Keyblade firmly, concentrating on the magic within the sword…

(FA-VOOOM)

Sora's Keyblade suddenly shot out a breath of broiling heat at the Ice, but the Ice healed quickly, making Crimson say, "Letting go of your peace will reduce all around you to pieces! You must retain your peace, concentrate, and don't let go of your Zen! Breathe Sora…breath…(burp)"

Sora sighed and tried again. But this time, as Sora calmed down and concentrated, the Keyblade started to glow red. It shined brighter and brighter as Sora said to himself, "…remain calm…focus…be at peace…relax…Fire, remain in the blade…remain in the blade…

(VA-SHOOOOOSH)

"_**SON-OV-A-!**_" to the Golem King's surprise, the Keyblade Master's blade blew out a large amount of Fire, and appeared to be dancing around the sword! Sora raised his blade, and charged at the wall of Ice! Sora swung his blade and at that instant, a large portion of Ice evaporated! Sora turned around and asked, "How's THAT for focus-?"

"**I SPILLED MY DRINK!**" Crimson snapped and threw his glass, which accidentally hit Roger Rabbit!

Crimson then said, "Note to self: Never bring pleasure into business! That's the last time I bring wine with me on an epic breakthrough! (ahem) Sorry, what happened-? Oh, you did it? Yay, damn, sexy, whatever the fan boys or girls say."

Sora then asked, "Crimson, unless I'm wrong, we're enemies, so why did you teach me this technique?" Crimson threw his empty bottle into a recycling bin and replied, "The same reason I taught you earlier, to prep you for your destiny. You're aware of them now, aren't you? Believe it or not, the true enemy is 10-times worse than anything you can imagine. Xehanort; he's only the beginning. Beware Sora, _**beware **__**The **__**Oroboros…**_PS: Isaac booby-trapped one of the Circles, so be ready for another boss fight."

Crimson then walked through a Dark Portal, leaving Sora to crush the nearby Transmutation Circle and disable part of the Ice Transmutation.

End of Chapter 104

* * *

**Next Chapter, Sora arrives in a location which will put a thorn in Ed's plans, then he encounters two new faces he has allot in common with...**

**Please Comment!**


	105. Chapter 105

**Last time, Isaac activated a transmutation that brought forth walls of ice, connecting to one another and causing terrified citizens to panic. Isaac then confessed to Sora about Xehanort and Basc Grand's connection to the missing and brainwashed Y. O. U. T. H. Assassins! He also revealed the existence of a group of creatures called 'Homunculi' who might be controlling the military from within...**

**Before any more questions would be answered, Isaac escaped via an ice wall! Sora chased the Freezing Alchemist, only to reunite with the Elric Brothers and the Genomes, Donald and Goofy. Edward and Alphonse decided to go after Isaac while King Bradley suggested that he, Sora, and the Genomes head out to stop the ice walls by destroying the root Transmutation Circles.**

**While Donald and Goofy found different methods in demolishing the circles, Sora was having problems with the regenerating Ice. Crimson surprised Sora and taught him to use the Magic Sword ability, which bonds an elemental spell to the blade, making the spell stronger! After taking Crimson's advice, Sora forged the Fire Sword and annihilated the Ice AND the Circle all at once! Sora then questioned why the Golem King helped him, to which Crimson replied, "to prepare you for your destiny." And before he left, Crimson warned Sora to 'beware the Oroboros', and to lookout for Isaac's secret trap...**

**Warning: Kingdom Hearts and Fullmetal Alchemist are both licensed by Square-Enix. The secondary licenses for both franchises are Disney (Kingdom Hearts), Aniplex, Bones Inc., and Funimation (Fullmetal Alchemist). **

**PS: There will be spoilers.**

* * *

Fullmetal Kingdom: The Fanfic

Chapter 105: Similar Saviors

On the rooftops of Traverse Town, Alphonse finally reached Edward, who was on Isaac's trail! Al jumped to his side and said, "Brother, the Transmutation, it seems Isaac is-!"

(_**RAT-TAT-TAT-TAT**_)

The Elrics were caught by surprise as Eastern Liberators popped out of the windows and doorways to pump them full of lead! As the brothers dodged, Ed asked, "Sorry about the intermission Al, can you repeat that?" Ed punched the nearest gunman while Al batted away two more and said, "Isaac's Transmutation was designed to freeze over the entire city, including the military base!"

After driving his foot into a Liberator's stomach, Ed said, "I've noticed the Ice walls curving and connecting, there must be a few Circles hidden around the city. We crush them, the city's safe, but we still need to catch up with 'Mr. Brow'-!" As soon as Ed clocked someone from behind and threw him at Al to slam to the ground, Al reported, "Isaac's our priority, Sora said he'll deal with the Ice walls along with Donald, Goofy, and the rest of the soldiers!"

Liberators then charged at Ed and Al, and the two used Alchemy to liquefy the rooftops and make the approaching enemies sink! The brothers stopped their Transmutation and left the Liberators stuck in the rooftops, whining for help.

Ed smiled and said, "Knowing Sora, he'll be finished by the time we beat Isaac. So looks like it's a Win-Win scenario for us Al, LET'S GO!" The elder brother continued chasing the Freezing Alchemist with Al following on hot pursuit!

Back in town, Donald, Goofy, and the other soldiers were wiping out every one of Isaac's Circles while Sora was doing the same!

After 5 Circles were destroyed, Sora reached the 6th, located near the Central Library…

"To think, the next Transmutation Circle is located exactly where the Elrics want to-…"

To Sora's shock, the Library was destroyed, burned to the ground…

"…how pissed off can one pipsqueak get when he sees this?"

Shaking off the disappointment, Sora continued forward, searching for the Transmutation Circle. He followed the Icy trail until it brought him into the library, where scorched bookshelves, crumbling stairs, and smashed tables were seen.

Sora suddenly noticed bits of the library forcefully torn and destroyed, like a large hole cut through one of the shelves, and a part of the ground was destroyed by something heavy. Sora said to himself, "This isn't a natural burning…someone…fought in this place." Puzzled by the area's appearance, Sora placed his hands in his pockets and looked around for a Circle…

(ruffle-ruffle)

Sora pulled something out of his pocket and remembered, _The message Marcoh gave me! I thought it belonged to Edward, but he never sa__id…_ Sora opened the letter and said, "I'll just read to make sure…"

_Dear Sora, _

_Leon has decided to go back to Radiant Garden, and has requested your assistance in reclaiming our home. I arrived at Destiny Islands to find you after the colonel told us your current location. If you are reading this, I am already in North City. Whether you wish to join us or not is up to you, but from one friend to another, I suggest you stay with the Elrics, there's no telling what they'll find._

_I also noticed Tim Marcoh was in Destiny Islands, I can only guess that he has a clue to creating the Philosopher Stone. Please stay with them Sora, the secret to the stone will only harm their intensions more._

_I'll try to come back to Traverse Town sometime later to report our progress, in the meantime, good luck._

_Love, Aeris_

As he folded the message and placed it in his pocket, Sora said, "She's smarter than she looks. Still, I hope she and the others will do fine. Now, where was I? Oh yeah, busting Isaac's Transmutation Circle!" Sora walked to the Ice Wall's starting point and noticed the circle in the Ice. He brought out his Keyblade and focused the Fire into it, but as he did, he thought, _Hard to believe I learned this trick from an enemy. Crimson, he's scheming something…_

(CRACK-A-THOOM)

(CRI-KOOM)

Sora smirked, "Looks like Donald's going '_**QUACKERS**_'! But I'm not letting him outscore me!"

"FREEZE, DON'T MOVE!"

Before Sora could use his Fire Sword, two Eastern Liberators pointed their guns towards him!

"The burning sword, kick it here!" The first gunman demanded. Sora asked, "You sure?" The second gunman yelled, "He just gave you an order kid, I suggest you listen, like a good dog of the state!" Sora sighed, "(sigh) Whatever you say…"

(BA-TANG)

Sora surprised the gunmen by kicking the Fire Sword at them! The gunmen jumped out of the way, but where caught off guard when Sora grabbed their wrists, and squeezed them, forcing the Liberators to drop their guns! Sora smiled and taunted them into coming at him…

"Big mistake brat, we're gonna make you wish you stayed under mommy's bed!" The first gunman threw a few punches Sora's way, but to his annoyance, Sora dodged every attack! Sora caught a fist and asked, "What's that you were saying about wishing you 'stayed under mommy's bed'?!"

(THWACK)

The Liberator went down, causing Sora to ask, "Does ANYBODY know I've studied martial arts?"

(click-click)

To Sora's shock, the second gunman had his gun back and pointed it at the Keybearer!

"Children shouldn't get involved with monsters like the state military. Why are you protecting them when they caused so much suffering?" The gunman asked. Sora replied, "Suffering?! Isaac's the one making people suffer! In fact, he plans to kill us all with a permanent trip to the cooler!" The gunman argued, "WE CHOSE THIS! If we die, we take them with us! No war is won without sacrifice; even children your age would know that!" Sora yelled, "So you'd prefer to die by the enemy like you have nothing left?! How stupid are you, what about your family-?!"

"_**DON'T TALK **__**TO ME ABOUT FAMILY WHEN MY FAMILY WAS TAKEN BY THE MONSTERS YOU'RE PROTECTING!**_"

Sora was speechless…

The gunman wiped his tears away and explained, "I had a family…we ALL had a family, but the military and their God-forsaken ways…we…lost…EVERYTHING…now, alive or dead, I'm going to end them, but before I do, you'll have to be spared from their hellish lifestyle! P-please…please forgive me boy… (whimper)…forgive me…"

Sora was frightened, he was actually frightened! A gun pointing at him with no way of reaching the Liberator, this seemed like the end for the Keybearer…

…

(CLICK-CLICK)

"**Drop your weapon.**"

To Sora's surprise, a young short-haired woman in uniform pressed her gun at the gunman from behind his head!

"Block, take his gun." The officer said. Her partner ran up and took the Liberator's gun. He then gave it to his superior, who said to the gunman, "You're under arrest for assisting a known traitor in the attempted murder of ten thousand citizens of Central City. You have the right to remain silent, if you refute that right, anything you say and do will be used against you. Block, cuff him!" Block took out the handcuffs and placed them behind the felon-.

(cla-cang)

"W-WHAT THE-?! Aw, the 5th time this week! Cuff HIM I said Block, CUFF HIM!"

Block tearfully apologized, "I-I'm sorry Lieutenant Ross, the cuffs were being cleaned this morning and I forgot to dry them!"

Sora wondered, _Who're these guys, and why do they suck so much? Nothing against the lady, but the dude, is he REALLY an officer of the __military?! _Sora sighed and said, "Um…hi there, thanks for your-."

Ross suddenly pointed her gun at Sora!

"…help?"

"You aren't going anywhere either, punk!" Ross said. Sora tried to explain, "A 'punk', mwah? Mam, this might sound strange coming from a teenager, but I'm on your side! I have been since the military bought me as protection for Edward." Ross questioned, "Someone like you, dressed in rags can never be one of us! And I've heard of Edward Elric, a so-called child prodigy who went on to becoming the youngest State Alchemist in history. Nickname 'Fullmetal', known for saving the town of Youswell and thus being christened the name of 'Hero of the People'. I see no proof whatsoever of you being involved with the military, OR it's officers!"

Sora then said, "Then let me say this loud & clear for you to understand! I'm Number 516, Sora, raised and trained in the orphanage of weaponized children, Y. O. U. T. H. Colonel Mustang, Lieutenant Colonel Maes Hughes, and the officers who worked with them would know me perfectly! They bought me and gave me the mission of protecting the Fullmetal Alchemist! Get it now? **I'M HIS DAMN BODYGUARD!**"

"My dad tells better stories in his sleep! Right now, we're facing a madman, and you expect me to waste time looking for your proof? You have no proof, so for now-!" Before Ross could finish, Sora yelled, "_**DAMN IT, WHAT DOES IT WAKE TO GET THROUGH THAT HEAD OF YOURS BESIDES A BULLET?!**_" Ross asked, "**Was that a threat?!**" Sora answered, "_**More like a mockery of your thick skull, la**__**dy!**_"

While the two were arguing, Block suddenly noticed the second gunman pressing a drawing on paper against the Ice Wall's starting point…

Then when he saw the drawing glow, Block warned Sora and Ross, "**HE'S USING ALCHEMY!**"

As the two turned, a bright light emitted from the Transmutation Circle! The gunman then said, "Our leader entrusted me with the fail-safe; a Transmutation Circle that can summon a powerful Golem!"

"_**YOU SUMMONED A GOLEM?!**_" Sora asked.

Suddenly, Sora, Ross and Block noticed a heart in the sky, gathering metal things to form a body…

Sora shook his head in shock, "Not again…PLEASE not again!"

A gigantic foot came down upon Sora, but miraculously, Block saved him by pushing him out of the way!

(BRA-KA-KOOM)

The ground shook with great force as Sora's old enemy, the Guard Armor, stood before them, ready to continue the fight they began a month ago! Sora summoned his Keyblade and was ready for the worst when suddenly-!

(BANG-BANG)

Ross and Block were shooting at the Golem!

Sora yelled, "Bullets will only bounce off his body! You need to destroy the Guard Armor from within!" Block asked, "F-from within?" Sora nodded, "Yes, it's heart is inside of it, but it's like a fortress in there, so I'll take care of it while you two distract it!"

Ross argued, "Now hold on, this isn't something children should get themselves into, especially children following the Freezing Alchemist! If we have to destroy the heart, we'll need to bring out-!" Sora then said, "WILL YOU PLEASE JUST TRUST ME?!" Ross was startled by the Keybearer's startling plea, but she sighed and nodded, "Just stay alive, kid! I don't want your death on my mind!" Sora nods and rushes towards the colossal enemy, with his Keyblade ready to once again slay it!

End of Chapter 105

* * *

**Next Chapter, a familiar ally rushes to aid the Elrics while Sora faces a 'different' kind of Guard Armor...**

**Please Comment!**


	106. Chapter 106

**Last time, the Elric Brothers pursue the Freezing Alchemist while Donald and Goofy continued their demolition work on the Ice Wall Transmutation Circles! Meanwhile, Sora was also hard at work annihilating the Circles when he found the library Ed and Al were looking for in pieces! Though grieving was on the schedule, the Keyblade Master had more important business to take care of, like destroying the Transmutation Circle that formed one of the Ice Walls.**

**Sora also had some time to read the letter he thought was meant for Edward, but to his surprise, it was actually meant for him! Aeris reported of Leon's plan to return to Radiant Garden and reclaim their homeland. They currently resided in North City, waiting for Sora to arrive and assist, and just when he placed the note in his pocket, Sora encountered driven Liberators, who were determined to stop him from destroying the Ice Wall. But luckily, two soldiers, Second Lieutenant Maria Ross and Sergeant Denny Block, arrived at the scene and apprehended them. But Ross saw Sora as one of the Liberators, so the two bickered about sides and alliances when one of Isaac's Liberators took advantage of the distraction by activating the trap Crimson warned Sora about!**

**The Liberator used Alchemy to summon a familiar Golem, the Guard Armor, to attack Sora. Though she didn't trust him, Maria allowed the Keyblade Master to fight the giant metal monster. And so the rematch of the century commenced...**

**Warning: Kingdom Hearts and Fullmetal Alchemist are both licensed by Square-Enix. The secondary licenses for both franchises are Disney (Kingdom Hearts), Aniplex, Bones Inc., and Funimation (Fullmetal Alchemist). **

**PS: There will be spoilers.**

* * *

Fullmetal Kingdom: The Fanfic

Chapter 106: Cold Comfort

(**VA-VOOOOOOOOOOOM**)

(_**VA-VOOOOOOOOOOOOOM**_)

Donald continuously blew up every Transmutation Circle he could find!

"QUAKE…QUAKE!" Donald casts spell after spell, but suddenly, he noticed a few civilians still trying to escape. The duck rushed to them and asked, "Why haven't any of you evacuated the city?! This place could become the next 'Disney on Ice' attraction!" A civilian woman replied, "M-my husband, his leg, IT'S STUCK IN THE ICE!"

Donald sighed and examined the man's leg. He then said, "Stay calm miss, I'll do what I can!" Donald then summoned a small amount of fire on his wand and started melting the ice around the man's leg. Suddenly, Donald noticed a giant emerging from a part of the city. Donald then said, "(sigh) Sora, if you're over there, I hope you can handle that thing without any magic…"

Elsewhere in town, Goofy and the construction workers were also tearing down the Transmutation Circles.

Suddenly, Goofy noticed Maes Hughes running towards him. Goofy saluted him and reported, "Howdy sir, it looks like we've destroyed almost every one of the circles, so hopefully we should be able to stop the freezing process!" Hughes smiled and said, "Thanks Goof, but before you destroy that Ice Wall, I need to evacuate my family. They should still be inside the basement."

Hughes entered his home, which was right next to the Transmutation Circle Goofy was trying to reach.

"Gracia, Elicia, is anyone there?" Hughes called. The Lieutenant Colonel headed for the closet and opened the basement door, checking on his family.

"Maes!" Gracia welcomed her husband with a hug, as did his little girl, Elicia. Hughes then asked, "How're the guests?" "Fine sir, but the REAL question is, where's Sora?" Eiko asked. Vivi then wondered, "M-maybe I should go look for-." Hughes patted Vivi on the hat and said, "That's a noble heart you got kid, but you're still young. We need to trust Sora to come back, don't we?" Vivi nodded, "I guess…but still, I can't just let him fight alone." Hughes explained, "He's not alone Vivi, he's got all of us by his side. Even if he can't see us, he still knows we're there for him. Now come on, we have to get you guys away from here!"

Goofy then noticed Hughes leaving his home with his family and the two young mages, and then Hughes gave Goofy the thumbs up, signaling the dog's permission to continue targeting the Transmutation Circle.

"ALRIGHT FELLAS, RESUME THE MISSION (ahyuk)!"

Meanwhile, Sora broke through the Guard Armor's foot and said to himself, "Alright, just like last time, I just need to climb up to the chest area and trash the heart!" Sora then spotted a climbable wall and started climbing. As he climbed, he said, "Jeez, last time, I just needed to climb up the arm! This is going to take some time to reach the heart…"

Back outside, Ross and Block were watching as the metal creature walked past them, and headed straight towards Central Command! Ross ran to a phone and dialed a number for a superior officer, "I must speak with Major Armstrong! …THEN PULL HIM AWAY FROM THE MIRROR, _THIS IS AN EMERGENCY!_"

Back inside the Guard Armor, Sora continued climbing through the leg, then the stomach, where he met with a wave of Soldier and Large Body Golems! The Keyblade was immediately summoned and charged at the enemy!

He defeated the majority of Golems and even kicked one through the belly/wall! Sora then looked through the hole he made and saw the Guard Armor's target, Central Command! Sora sighed, "Once again, you're trying to destroy Central. First for Xehanort, then Isaac, the only guy who hasn't given you orders is Crimson himself."

Just then, something attacked him!

(SLASH)

Sora turned around, but saw nothing there! Sora listened carefully for the attacker…

(SMACK)

Sora collapsed on the ground and said, "Okay, someone's playing 'Stealth Sneak' with me again…" The Keybearer reached into one of his pockets and pulled out a spray of aftershave. He then sprayed it around the area…

(cough-cough)

Sora heard the coughing and immediately swung his Avenger at it! The attack weakened the creature to the point of revealing itself! It was a Soldier-like Golem, but with a green tone instead of blue! The creature made itself invisible again, but it's powers seemed to be blinking on and off, giving Sora a chance to fight back!

Sora almost immediately attacks the creature, but the Soldier dodged the attack and swung it's claws, which were repelled by Sora! The two then exchanged blows and defense as they continued their fight! However, the Keyblade Master was a natural at hand-to-hand combat, so he grabbed the Soldier by the wrist and sliced it in two!

"And so the Stealth Soldier falls." Sora said. He then found a part of the wall he could climb and continued upwards until he finally arrived in the chest area, where he saw the heart controlling it's metallic body! The Keybearer unsheathed his blade and jumped at the heart!

"I've gotten stronger since last time, so I won't need Leon or Cid to kick you out of this walking garbage can!" Sora yelled as he sliced through the Guard Armor's heart! The heart screeched, and from the ground, metallic spikes were formed, trying to pierce the Keybearer where he stood!

The young assassin dodged most of the spikes until one caught him off guard and cut his leg! Sora fell to the ground, at the mercy of the Guard Armor's core heart, when suddenly-!

"_**BEHOLD, THE ANCHIENT TECHNIQUE THAT WAS PASSED DOWN THE ARMSTRONG LINE FOR GENERATIONS!**_"

(BRA-KOOM)

Through the Guard Armor's chest plate came the eerie but just-spirited Alex Louis Armstrong, who quickly used his alchemic ability to mold parts of the ceiling into giant busts of himself! The busts fell on the heart and seemingly crushed it!

Armstrong then came to Sora's aid said, "Don't fret Sora, we've won the battle. The Elrics are already on Isaac's trail, so it's only a matter of t-!"

Suddenly, the area started shaking, Sora then said, "Major, this thing can't move without a heart, we have to get out!" Armstrong nodded, took Sora's arm over his shoulder, and jumped out the way he came!

The two then landed on top of one of the nearby buildings, where they watched the Guard Armor fall…

Sora then said, "There's some Transmutation Circle graffiti controlling the Ice, can I count on you to find them?" Armstrong nodded, "Consider them erased!" Armstrong left for the Transmutation hunt when Sora suddenly noticed something…

"And the Guard Armor is moving WHY?!"

The Golem stood back up and saw Sora, but before Sora could attack, the Golem's body started rattling…

The Guard Armor's steel-made body started coming inside out…

Then it started standing in it's arms…

It's feet changed into giant crab-like claws…

The body now appeared to be upside down, sharp, pointy, and deadly, with the feet/claws as the arms and the hands as the feet…

The head/helmet then perched onto the new body and opened, revealing the Golem's Heart!

Ross and Block arrived just when the Guard Armor changed into this 'opposite' form. Block then said, "Mam, the Guard Armor seems to have changed it's appearance into something…kinda different." Ross agreed, "The body was originally like that of a giant knight, now it looks like a walking knife kit! A complete opposite of it's original slender form. What's worse, this 'Opposite Armor' can be even more of a threat than it's first form!"

Ross then noticed a fire escape ladder on the side of the building Sora was on, so she proceeded to climbing it! Block asked, "Lieutenant, what are you doing?!" Ross replied, "He's just a boy Block, I'm doing what comes naturally, and that's protecting civilians!" Ross then started climbing up the ladder, with Block following, "**H-HEY LIEUTENANT, **_**WAIT FOR ME!**_"

Meanwhile, upon a moving wall of Ice, Isaac, the Freezing Alchemist comes even closer to his goal of freezing over Central City…

As he came closer to the military headquarters, Isaac yelled, "Fuhrer King Bradley, for your unforgivable crimes in Ishbal, I condemn you to a frozen Hell!"

"_**NOT SO FAST!**_"

(BA-COOOM)

Just then, Isaac was met with cannon-fire from behind! As he dodged, he noticed Edward Elric closing in on him!

"The Fullmetal brat from East City, DAMN IT, I just keep fighting kids!" Isaac then summoned soldiers made of Ice and said, "War's no place for kids, my Ice Soldiers will be all the explanation you'll need to see why! _SOLDIERS, ATTACK!_"

The Ice Soldiers jumped off the Ice Wall and charged at Edward, who managed to block most of their sword attacks! But as he fought, he noticed Isaac still heading to Central Command! Edward then said, "You think these dolls will buy you time?! Not on my watch! ALPHONSE, ATTACK!"

As Isaac wondered where the younger brother was, an attack from above caught the Freezing Alchemist off guard!

(SLICE)

Alphonse used an alchemy-made katana and sliced through the front of the Ice wall forcing most of the frontal part of the Ice to break down!

Isaac stepped on the part of Ice that was still intact and noticed Alphonse standing back up on the street. Alphonse pointed his blade at Isaac and said, "You won't be freezing anymore, Isaac! Surrender or be prepared to face the consequences!" Isaac replied, "Sorry kid, your options mean the same thing for a guy like me, _**and I have corrupt politicians to freeze!**_"

Isaac then used his red rings to bring out monstrous beasts from the Ice to attack the young Elric! Isaac then said, "If you want a playmate so badly, then enjoy the company of my Ice Beasts!"

"NOT SO FAST VILLAIN!"

(KRA-KA-THOOM)

Armstrong suddenly charged at the Ice wall and using his bare fists, he destroyed a large majority of it!

"Alchemist after alchemist, dog after dog, and armies after armies, it doesn't matter how many of you there are, I WILL NOT BE STOPPED BY ANYONE!" Isaac then changed the direction of the Ice wall to escape Armstrong!

"Well THAT was unexpected." Armstrong said.

"MAJOR, LOOK OUT!"

Alphonse pushed Armstrong out of the way of an Ice Beast's attack!

As the two stood together, Al and Armstrong were surrounded by more Ice Beasts. But luckily, Edward arrived and tore through tem with another cannonball! As Ed joined the group, he asked, "What're you doing here Major?!" Armstrong explained, "My apologies Ed, I was called for duty when Sora was attacked by another Guard Armor. He told me to assist in destroying the Transmutation Circles controlling the Ice, but as soon as I found you two, I had to come to your aid!"

Ed then asked, "If there IS a Transmutation Circle here, then can we rely on you to take care of this?" Armstrong replied, "Yes, I'll deal with the circle, AND these creatures, you two follow the Freezing Alchemist!" Al nodded, "Thank you major, we'll come back and help as soon as we can!" Armstrong shook his head and said, "As I appreciate the intent, you have no need to worry boys, I fought armies single-handedly. An army of yetis shouldn't be any different."

Ed then said, "Alright major, we're counting on you! Al, let's go!"

As the brothers left, Armstrong faced the Ice Beasts and said, "Fiends under the manipulation of the moving Ice…" He then removed his shirt and coat and prepared for an attack, "…you are helpless against the technique handed down the line of Armstrong FOR GENERATIONS!"

(KRA-KA-THOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM)

"Heh, sounds like the major's enjoying the snow day!" Ed said to Al, who then said, "Get your head in the game brother, Sora and the major are counting on us to stop Isaac!" Ed smirked, "I know, I know, I'm just a bit peeved that Sora's facing another giant monster! He's always acting like he can handle anything, but damn-it, he seems to have ALL the fun!"

End of Chapter 106

* * *

**Next Chapter, the Elric Brothers catch up and battle Isaac while Sora faces the most lethal Golem foe yet...**

**Please Comment!**


	107. Chapter 107

**Last time, Donald continues blowing the ice into pieces while Goofy and Maes evacuate the Hughes family, but the REAL story was Sora's rematch with an old enemy, the Golem boss who attacked Central months ago, the Guard Armor! The Keybearer broke into the armor again, and like last time, he destroyed the heart, but not without some assistance from the Strong-Armed Alchemist, Alex Louis Armstrong! After the two jumped out of the creature's body, Sora asked Armstrong to assist Donald and Goofy with demolishing the Transmutation Circles creating the Ice Wall Transmutation.**

**Suddenly, the unthinkable happened, the Guard Armor transformed! The creature's metalic body went upside down while turning inside-out, becoming sharper, pointier, and deadlier than before. It became the Opposite Armor!**

**Meanwhile, Isaac was closing in on his goal when the Elric Brothers arrived to stop him! However, the Freezing Alchemist summoned knights and beasts from the Ice Wall to keep them at bay! Luckily, Armstrong was there to provide the Elrics with some assistance in destroying the Ice Monsters. After the battle, Edward and Alphonse catch up with the Freezer while Armstrong continues destroying the Transmutation Circles...**

**Warning: Kingdom Hearts and Fullmetal Alchemist are both licensed by Square-Enix. The secondary licenses for both franchises are Disney (Kingdom Hearts), Aniplex, Bones Inc., and Funimation (Fullmetal Alchemist). **

**PS: There will be spoilers.**

* * *

Fullmetal Kingdom: The Fanfic

Chapter 107: Opposite Armor Attacks

"Almost there…just a bit further Bradley and I'll take you and the rest of them to Hell." Isaac said as his Ice wall came further to Central HQ.

Isaac however failed to notice the approaching Elric Brothers; Edward surprised the Freezer with a kick to the back!

Isaac staggered to his feet and saw Edward standing before him! Then he noticed the younger brother, Alphonse jump behind Ed.

"Damn…DAMN…**DAMN YOU BRATS!** Can't you take the hint and beat it!" Isaac asked. Ed replied, "Wait your turn pal, we'll beat it pretty soon. First we'll kick it, stomp it, shove it in Ice with the rest of the snow and THEN we'll beat it." Isaac gripped his fists and said, "This was the same…like when we met in East City. You were so cocky, and you beat me by luck. Your bodyguard was just like you, chasing after me, intending to arrest me, believing what only he could see with his own two eyes. The two of you NEVER saw why the act would justify the means; you just believed your beloved fuhrer!"

Ed shook his head and said, "Naw, that's not it. The reason we keep pissing you off is because we don't like the way you do business. Y'know, senseless killing, taking the law in your own hands and all that 'evil villain' crap. Freezing people, or even frying their bodies to death, it can REALLY tick us off."

Alphonse then said, "You pass yourself on as the hero, but look around you! Families, friends, lost in your blizzard!" Isaac smiled and said, "Those families and friends are involved with the military, THAT means they're the enemy, innocent or not! This is war kids, with great deeds come great sacrifice!"

Ed then argued, "You said that when we met to, 'great deeds and sacrifice', what a load! Alright, then I'll bring back another fact. _**THE LAWS OF ALCHEMY DON'T JUSTIFY MURDER!**_"

Back in Traverse Town, on top of a building, Sora summoned his Avenger, stared at the Opposite Armor and said, "A new look's nothing if you can't dish out some new tricks!" Just then, the Opposite Armor breathed in, taking a deep breath…

(_K-K-K-KRAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAWWWWWW_)

Then to Sora's surprise, the Opposite Armor unleashed a hoard of swords from it's mouth! Sora ran to keep his enemy from hitting him, but he failed to notice it's left claw, which caught him and started squeezing the life out of him!

(**BLAM, BLAM**)

To the monster (and Sora's) surprise, Ross came to the rescue by shooting it's heart! The Opposite Armor screeched in pain and released Sora! Block came to his side and helped him up. Sora came by Ross's side and said, "Now that it's heart is in the head, it should be easier to kill it!" Ross nodded and said, "But only if the helmet remains open!" Block then said, "She's right, look! The helmet is closing back up!"

(CLAMP)

The Opposite Armor closes it's faceplate shut and looks at it's attackers. It then pulls it's claws back, slowly readying an attack…

Sora, Ross, and Block suddenly notice a few metal accessories, armor pieces and weapons gathering behind the claws…

"It's like he's charging…**JUMP TO THE NEXT BUILDING, **_**MOVE!**_" Sora yelled.

(_sssssssccrrreeeeeeEEEEEEAAAAAAAAAAA-__**KRA-KA-KOOOOOOOOOM**_)

As the trio jumped away, the building, and the ones after it were shredded to millions of pieces!

Sora looked back and saw the Opposite Armor charging up more metal for another attack and yelled, "Keep running you two! JUST KEEP RUNNING!"

The Opposite Armor then unleashed several more waves of metallic chaos towards them, tearing away every building they jumped from! Suddenly, Sora stopped and said, "The city should be evacuated, but with these officers lives at stake-…HEY, IRON MORON, LOOKY HERE! COME AND GET ME YA LIVING GARBAGE HEAP!"

The Opposite Armor threw down a fist upon Sora, but he avoided it swiftly and jumped upon it's arm! He ran up to it's head and stuck his Avenger through the faceplate, forcing it open! Sora then slashed and sliced the heart, damaging the enemy greatly! As Ross saw the opening, she said, "Sora, clear the opening! Block and I will provide assistance!" She and Block then pointed their guns at the Opposite Armor and shot multiple times at the heart!

(BLAM-BLAM-BLAM-BLAM-)

(_SCREEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAACH_)

Eager to end the pain, the Opposite Armor turned and unleashed another onslaught of sharp metal at the two soldiers!

(_**K-K-K-KRAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAWWWWWW**_)

Ross and Block jumped out of the way, and then the young sergeant noticed something, "Lieutenant, Sora's trying to pull the faceplate off!"

One of the bolts was torn off, and then Sora went for the next one, which the Opposite Armor realized was the Keyblade Wielder's target. The creature stopped breathing out metal shards and reached for the young assassin. Sora however proved too quick for the creature's grasp and avoided every claw that came his way, but the monster eventually grabbed it's target! Instead of squeezing Sora, it chose to use it's breath again and shred it's small humanoid foe to pieces!

(BANG-BANG-BANG-BANG)

Block and Ross managed to shoot the heart, causing the monster to release Sora! "Keep shooting Block!" Ross ordered, Block nodded, "YES MAM!" The two officers shot like crazy at the heart, making the metal monstrosity writhe in agony!

The Opposite Armor then closed it's faceplate and swung it's claws at the two soldiers!

(BRA-KOOOM)

The two officers ducked to avoid the attack, but wen Block opened his eyes, he noticed someone missing, Lieutenant Ross!

Ross was actually hanging onto the monster's right claw for her life! As the Opposite Armor tried to throw her off, she held on tightly while pointing her gun at the creature. But she then thought, _What are you doing Maria?! This thing's the size of a monolith, how can you kill it? It's faceplate isn't even open! Still…that kid could do __it…so maybe…_

Ross then started climbing the arm towards the face with every intention of finding an opening to shoot through. But the Opposite Armor wasn't about to let that happen, so it used it's left claw to try and sweep her off! The metal was flying at Ross, but before the claw came close-!

(BA-TANG)

The Opposite Armor's faceplate fell off!

"No more hiding in the tin suit! This is gonna end here and NOW!"

Sora jumped into the Opposite Armor's head and grabbed the heart! As he did, Ross saw this chance and resumed climbing up. Ross finally made it to Sora, who started to pull the heart out, slowly. As the heart started to tear away from it's dark-shadowy connections to the body, the Opposite Armor wiggled in agony and reached for them!

Ross then pulled out two grenades and tossed them into the creature's claws…

(VA-VO-VA-VOOOOOOOOOM)

The claws were blown off, and at that instant, Sora succeeded in pulling the heart out!

(R-R-R-R-R-RIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIP)

Sora and Ross jumped from the Opposite Armor's body, and then Sora yelled, "_ROSS, BLOCK, KILL IT NOW!_"

As he held the heart, the metal, still under the Golem heart's control, started covering Sora in metal parts! The sharpness of the metal was piercing the boy's skin, causing him to bleed. Shocked by the boy's pain, Ross was frightened to do anything, but then Block asked, "Lieutenant, what are you waiting for?!" Ross answered, "He can't hold onto the heart, if we shoot, we might kill him-!" The pain increased on Sora, forcing him to command his fellow officers, "_**DO-IT, DO-IT, DO-IT!**_"

Block sighed and pointed his gun at the heart, "Lieutenant, we have to save him, right? So let's kill that thing for good!" Block then started shooting, which helped Ross realize what she had to do. She then followed Block's strategy and shot the heart multiple times!

(BLAM-BLAM-BLAM)

The heart was shot over and over again, and as it was shot, it shined brighter and brighter! Thus as it started twitching, Sora yelled, "I HOPE YOU GET AN ULCER WATCHING THIS ONE CRIMSON!" Sora then tossed the heart into the air…

…

(_**KRA-KA-THOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM**_)

The heart exploded, and as it died, so did it's body, which deteriorated back into metal things.

Block cheered, "WE DID IT, WE SAVED THE CITY! Do you think the fuhrer will reward us Lieutenant? …Lieutenant?"

Ross watched Sora struggle to stand, but the Keyblade Master was tired, VERY tired. Ross then noticed Sora starting to fall off the building, so she quickly grabbed his hand! Ross called out, "Hey, **HEY!** Sora, come on wake up! Damn it Block, he's bleeding to death! SORA, PLEASE, _WAKE UP! __**WAKE UP!**_"

Near Central Command, Edward and Alphonse were facing Isaac, who uses his alchemy to bring out Ice Spikes from part of his Ice wall to attack them. Edward however uses his alchemy to destroy the part of the wall that the spikes were coming from! The Ice below Isaac's feet dispersed, forcing him to fall and use a part of the Ice to form pillars for him to run back towards the Fullmetal.

Alphonse quickly pulls Ed back, but Isaac grabbed Al and attempted to fry him!

(BAMF)

"ALPHONSE-!"

The helmet flew off, making Al fall. Edward faced Isaac, who said to him, "Like I said, 'war is no place for kids'. Take what remains of your brother and leave."

Suddenly, Alphonse caught Isaac by surprise with a swift kick to the jaw!

Isaac staggered back on his feet and saw something unbelievable…

"I-IT'S EMPTY! THERE'S NO ONE IN THE ARMOR!"

"_**YA THINK?!**_"

Isaac ducked and avoided Edwards attack! The Freezer then then kicked Ed's leg, causing him to fall over, but Alphonse grabbed him in the nick of time!

"Hang on brother!" Alphonse said as he pulled his brother back up. After he was pulled back up, Edward transmuted his arm into an arm-blade once again.

Isaac then pondered about what he saw, "The armor, it moves it talks, there's no way it can do that unless-…unless the armor had…of course, a soul! I recognize that circle, it's an Anchoring Seal of blood!"

"…you lost your arm…"

"…and the brother…must have lost his body."

Isaac finally understood what Ed and Al were and laughed, "Heh…heh-heh…ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-AH-_**HA-HA-HA-HA-HA-HA-HA-HAAAAAAAA!**_ Oh of course, I see, it all adds up now, I've been fighting those who once sacrificed for a great deed themselves! You brats did it, didn't you?! You committed the one taboo that takes it all, **YOU SACRIFICED YOUR BROTHER IN AN ACT OF **_**HUMAN TRANSMUTATION!**_"

Edward's eyes burned when he heard what Isaac said…

"I…sacrificed?"

(Bump-Bump)

"…are you…saying…"

(Bump-Bump)

"…that I meant to do this to him?"

(BUMP-BUMP)

Edward's anger started to grow, and as his fury burned, so did his heart, which started changing…

End of Chapter 107

* * *

**Next Chapter, a frantic Fullmetal attacks without realizing what he's becoming while the Keybearer awakens in a familiar world...**

**Please Comment!**


	108. Chapter 108

**Last time, the Elric Brothers began their duel with the Freezing Alchemist, whose ambitions were destroying Central City and all the citizens around him. The Fullmetal was holding his own against Isaac, but he was caught off-guard and almost at the mercy of the Freezing Alchemist's boiling touch! Alphonse succeeded in saving him, but when Isaac knocked Al's helmet/head off, he realized the brother's secret and laughed, saying that Edward intended to sacrifice Al for someone else!**

**After hearing the accusation, Edward started acting strange...**

**Meanwhile, one of Central's neighborhoods, Traverse Town, was serving as the battlefield for Sora and the Opposite Armor, a stronger form of the Guard Armor! With the assistance of Maria Ross and Denny Block, the Keyblade Master succeeded in defeating the creature and saving part of Central! Suddenly, Sora fell to a deep sleep, and Ross started to fear the worst as Central was slowly being encased in ice...**

**Warning: Kingdom Hearts and Fullmetal Alchemist are both licensed by Square-Enix. The secondary licenses for both franchises are Disney (Kingdom Hearts), Aniplex, Bones Inc., and Funimation (Fullmetal Alchemist). **

**PS: There will be spoilers.**

* * *

Fullmetal Kingdom: The Fanfic

Chapter 108: A Heavy Burden

Sora opened his eyes when he heard a voice…

"…I…I didn't mean to…"

"Ed, is that you-_**W-WHAT THE-?!**_"

The Keybearer then saw himself inside a familiar area; once again, he was in the dark, misty world of stained-glass towers. Sora sighed, "Not again! Alright nightmares, what's it going to-…no…" Sora noticed something quite different about the Station of Awakening he was on…

"Is this…some kind of joke? Why is Edward in this?!"

It was a Station that represented Edward, sleeping on the left side of his body, the ring of circles around Ed had the emblem on his coat, then Sora noticed scenery of Risembool, with the Elrics' old house, and then, Sora saw in the circles next to Edward, the faces of Alphonse, Winry and Pinako. But on the fourth, Sora noticed a woman who seemed familiar. Sora then remembered, "I saw her face on one of the Rockbells' pictures…is this…Ed and Al's mom?"

"Yes…she was the only one there for us."

Sora turned around and saw a small boy that looked like Edward! Sora was a bit confused by the small Ed, so he asked, "…why am I here Ed?"

"Mom wouldn't leave us…not like him!"

Sora then saw another Edward behind him. As Sora questioned what was going on, the two Edwards continued, "She supported us, praised our work, she even advised us in our mistakes, that was why we had to take a chance. **We had to try and bring mom back.**"

Sora then noticed a bed next to him, where the Elric's mother was lying in peace. Edward and Alphonse were holding her hand as she whispered to them, "Your dad…he left us money... I've never touched it; I was…saving it for you boys. Use it, and take care of each other…" The young Edward chuckled, "D-don't be silly, we'll use it with you when you feel better!" Trisha smiled and said, "You are sweet boys…but you have to understand…mommy's time…is almost over." Al begged, "No mom, please don't go! PLEASE!"

Trisha gripped tighter and said, "Alphonse, you must promise mommy something. Please, be polite to Edward and Winry when I'm gone…and mind your manners when you meet new people…someday, a new friend will help you and Edward the same way I did…"

Trisha looked up, startling Sora, whom she smiled at.

"…she didn't mean me…stop it Ed…STOP IT!"

Tears came down Sora's face as Trisha looked back at her boys and said, "…please Al…" Al nodded, "Y-yes, I promise mommy, I promise, so please don't go!" Trisha then looked at Edward and said, "…take care of him Ed…you'll be his only family for now…" Ed nodded, "…y…yes…"

Sora tried to stop the tears, then he yelled, "**WHY AM I SEEING THIS?! **_**TELL ME!**_"

"Edward…would you be a sweetheart and transmute something for your mother? Yes, I know…a ring of flowers would be nice. You see your father…always…used to make them for me…"

Trisha's grip loosened, and the boys wept for their departed mother…

Sora turned away and then saw the young Edward before him. This Edward said, "After the funeral, we used the money to hire a teacher to teach us alchemy. Right down to the last step. We believed we finally had the key to bringing mom back from the dead…until the unthinkable happened."

Sora watched as the small boy walked past him, and then came beside a young Al. The two were standing before a large pale with what looked like dirt. But then Ed explained, "This is it, all the ingredients for making the adult human body." Al then asked, "So brother, what do we do now?" Ed replied, "We form the soul…mom's soul. It's simple when you think about it, take out the myth, it's just the spark of life. Our blood, that'll become her blood. That's a fair trade, right down to the laws of equivalence."

Sora remembered, "Equivalent Exchange…you once explained it to me as the ultimate truth. Something of equal value must be given in order for the exchange to work. But what's the equivalence for a full human? Sure it seems easy enough to play 'easy bake' with the ingredients, but seeing you guys today explained something different about the laws…life…it can only be equal to another…"

"There, the blood is added, now we just need to draw the circle…"

Edward and Alphonse drew their circle and stood together, ready to perform the transmutation…

(CLAP)

Sora then realized, "I remember now, they explained that they're appearance was altered after they-!"

Just then, the boys placed their hands on the Transmutation Circle-!

"NO, STOP-!"

(**VA-**_**VOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM**_)

Suddenly, an enormous purple and black twister appeared and absorbed the two young brothers!

"ED, AL, I'M COMING-!"

(SMACK)

Suddenly, something from the vortex slapped Sora away!

As Sora stood back up, he saw the twister morph into a familiar sight…

"Crimson…YOU?!"

Crimson replied, "It would seem so kiddo. After all, one's heart is never truly pure. A hint of darkness lurks within us all, making even the most courageous and heroic (not to mention foolhardy) living being open to an imminent dissention to madness. As I speak, the dill-sighted little alchemist is taking his first steps in becoming a Golem! One, that I might add, will soon be under MY control!"

Back outside, Isaac's words continue to wring through Edward's mind, making him infuriated with the Freezer's accusations.

Al then noticed something wrong with his brother, whose body was beginning to let out black mist. Al then asked, "Brother, are you alright?"

Ed didn't answer, instead, he warned Isaac, "_**…y'know…there are…some lines you shouldn't cross…**_"

Edward then looks up at Isaac, who was taken by surprise by Edward's eyes, which changed black with red pupils!

Suddenly, Ed charged at the Freezer, surprising Al, who tried to stop him, "_**BROTHER-?!**_" Ed then attacked Isaac viciously with a number of punches, and then he swung his arm-blade upwards and sliced through his opponent's chest!

"**RRRRRRRRRRRRRAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAGGGGHHHH!**"

Isaac screamed as the injury took it's toll, but to his horror, Edward was not finished. He grabbed him by the back of his head by the hair and continuously punched Isaac with his Automail Arm!

(BASH-BASH-BASH)

"Brother-, STOP IT, you're killing him!" Alphonse yelled. But Al's words weren't reaching him; Edward was filled with anger and void of mercy.

As Edward continued battering Isaac's face, within his heart, Sora was confronted by Crimson, who explained, "I honestly wanted nothing to do with your friends, but the situation has forced me to a corner. You were too merciful to your fellow man, and I was not about to let the vanquisher of evil have a soft spot. So I devised a way to motivate you into becoming a hunter instead of the hunted. This all began after I witnessed your victory over my treacherous Golems in Central. I was admittedly unsure about a child holding a Keyblade, so I decided to make it my mission to make you stronger by awakening the Key's power!"

"First, I built an army of men and minions, many who brought challenges worthy of the Keyblade."

"Second, allow them to create the chaos, through other worlds or other countries, you'd be sent there in no time to deal with the crisis, courtesy of Edward's constant responsibility as a State Alchemist."

"Third, make the challenge even more challenging by adding a drop of Golem residue onto the enemy. Their exposure to power made them unpredictable, thus giving you a chance to test your skills and intellect."

Fourth, I'd bring up tips on how to control your magic, a strong weapon is only as strong as it's wielder after all."

And fifth, get rid of anyone who threatens to get in the way, including your friends…and that 'Minx' who tried to get you on her side. Yes, monster-killing is something everyone is familiar with, but when the enemy can get into your head, killing can be consequential for both parties."

Sora asked, "But I'm inside Edward, wouldn't that make me…?" Crimson replied, "Well, actually you have a slight difference from your 'spiritual' enemies. For one, you retain your heart. An evil soul can enter the body and corrupt it, but a soul WITH a heart can make choices. Choices like saving the heart, or devouring it." Sora then asked, "So why are you inside Ed?" Crimson explained, "I told you, I'm turning him into a Golem. This does count as number 5, remember? 'Get rid of anyone in the way', does that ring a bell yet?"

Sora then said, "Well get lost! I'm not sure why I have this stupid weapon, but if your schemes are motivated by this, then you can have it for all I care! Leave me and my friends alone!" Crimson shook his head and said, "The Keyblade stays with it's master boy, I can't simply take it from you! No, you're stuck with it until it's taken from your cold dead hands by another! And I'm not eager to leave your little story until mine is finished!"

Crimson rose into the air slowly while saying, "We are bound together Sora, Light and Darkness, Hope and Despair, we are now and forever united against those who pull humanity's strings and cut them at will! We are meant to save the world, and destroy those who would violate it! My army will overpower Amestris, and with the Keyblade by our side, we will finally free the world from the shackles of evil! But none can be saved if we don't share a common goal, are you still going to walk away from my offer? Are you really so blinded that you'd follow the Elrics anywhere? _**Would you REALLY join the Homunculi instead of humanity?!**_"

Sora answered, "…I've…seen the Homunculi…I remember now. She had the same tattoo on her chest that the fat cannibal had on his tongue. She seemed to be involved in controlling the massacre in Lior, and the fat guy was trying to eat me, he was probably ordered by Solaris to do so…and then there's Kairi…"

"Yes, she had the same tattoo on the left side of her back. I was not aware you noticed, but the pieces of the puzzle seem to be coming together now, wouldn't you agree?" Crimson asked. Sora shook his head, "…no…she told me she was my friend-!" Crimson interrupted by saying, "The Homunculi lack the heart to care OR be honest to another human being. Did you really think the minx wanted you for YOU?! HA, all she desired was what her target had in his hand, the Keyblade! Face it you poor creature, the devil has a new name, and it's 'Kairi'!"

Sora placed his hand to his heart and said, "…I may not know the whole story behind the Keyblade or the Homunculus, but that's not important! The situation seems different, but what's the same is all that matters, my friends are in danger, so I have to save them! Whether it's you or the Homunculi…I will…PROTECT MY FRIENDS NO MATTER WHAT!"

Sora immediately charged at Crimson, but the Golem King grabbed him and threw him back and said, "Hell would've been no match for us…we could've been a grand team…" Suddenly, Crimson pulled back his cape and revealed Edward, who appeared the way he currently did!

"_**So I'll just make do with your friend!**_"

"EDWARD!" Sora ran to him, but Ed swung his arm-blade at him! A part of Sora's coat was torn, so Sora wondered, "Ed, why'd you attack me?!" Crimson replied, "See? Maybe he doesn't mind being a puppet. Now let's see how well you do against a friend…" Crimson then walked backwards into a Black Portal and vanished!

Sora looked at Ed and said, "Edward…listen to me, you're in danger! If you don't wake up, you'll become a Golem!" Edward didn't listen; instead, he clapped his hands together and summoned a katana!

"Edward…if you can hear me…then I promise…you won't become Crimson's puppet." Sora then prepared for the fight of his life and Edward's lives as he and Ed charged!

End of Chapter 108

* * *

**Next Chapter, Alphonse and Sora are forced to battle a brother and a friend in both the dream AND reality...**

**Please Comment!**


	109. Chapter 109

**Last time, Ed was driven insane by Isaac's accusations of intentional sacrifice, so he lunged at the Freezing Alchemist and proceeded to try and murder him! Terrified by his brother's sudden drop from sanity, Alphonse attempted to quell Ed's fury without realizing what was REALLY happening inside him...**

**Meanwhile, Sora suddenly fell asleep after his fight with the Opposite Armor and found himself in the heart (and Station of Awakening) of Edward Elric, who is struggling with his sanity and the choices he made in the past, like loosing his mother and failing to bring her back, and loosing Al's body in the progress. As it turns out, reliving Edward's pain was what Crimson wanted all along! Tired of Edward's interference, the Golem King sought to use the darkness in Ed's heart to change him into a Golem servant! Crimson then explained the reason Sora came into Ed's heart, because of the Keyblade, which holds power Crimson hungers for. The Golem King desired the destruction of all Homunculus, including Kairi, so for her safety, Sora takes up his blade against the Golem King, who brought forth an unlikely opponent...Edward Elric himself!**

**Warning: Kingdom Hearts and Fullmetal Alchemist are both licensed by Square-Enix. The secondary licenses for both franchises are Disney (Kingdom Hearts), Aniplex, Bones Inc., and Funimation (Fullmetal Alchemist). **

**PS: There will be spoilers.**

* * *

Fullmetal Kingdom: The Fanfic

Chapter 109: My Friend, My Enemy

(CLANG-CLANG)

"Ed, come on Eddy, it's me! Can't you rub those blinkers and see a friend?!"

Sora's words fell to deaf ears as Edward continued attacking. Sora blocked one attack and socked Ed in the eye! Sora realized what he did and said, "Oh, sorry about that, dude!"

(THWACK-THWACK)

Edward surprised Sora with a right hook and a left kick, sending the Keybearer sliding down the floor! Sora stood up and said, "Right, young prodigy, I remember. Still, I'm not going to let Crimson turn you into a slave, so if I have to experience every beating in the Elric book to do so, then whatever, LET'S SEE WHAT YOU CAN DISH OUT!" Ed transmutes a dagger and throws it at Sora, but the Keybearer avoids the weapon…but notices how close the wound was to his throat, "…apparently, you've done this before…"

Back outside, Edward continued to pummel Isaac to a bloody pulp until Alphonse grabbed his wrist and said, "**THAT'S **_**ENOUGH**_** ED!**"

"**Headless freak…**_**STAY OUT OF IT!**_" Edward's unusual attitude at Alphonse gave Isaac the opportunity he needed for a counter attack. Isaac used alchemy to bring out Ice-Spikes, but Ed avoided them in time! "You're not getting away Isaac!" Al said as he broke through the spikes. Isaac smirked, "Kids these days should learn when to QUIT!" Then the Freezing Alchemist sled down his Ice Wall to avoid the Elrics, who were surprisingly at odds with one another!

"You ruined my fun…"

Alphonse then noticed Edward's body letting out black mist, and then Al saw his brother's eyes turn completely yellow while antennae grew from his forehead!

"Brother, what's happening to you?! _**WHAT ON EARTH IS HAPPENING TO YOU?!**_"

As Alphonse engaged the Fullmetal in reality, Sora was still fighting the one in Ed's heart!

(CLANG-CLANG-CLANG)

"STOP IT EDWARD, IT'S ME, DON'T YOU REMEMBER YOUR BODYGUARD?!"

(CLASH)

Edward's sword was blocked by the Avenger, but Ed was getting closer and closer to Sora's shoulder. A slight cut made contact with Sora's shoulder, so Sora kicked Edward away and unleashed his own attacks!

(CLANG-CLANG-CLANG)

As Sora swung his sword, he said to Ed, "I've seen your memories, your losses, and I wish I helped you! Do you hear me?! I WISH I HELPED YOU! I could've saved you, I could have undone SO much, but reality kicked my ass and made you suffer! Pushing yourself for your brother is cool and all, but not when it turns us against one another! You said you wanted me to cooperate with you from now on, remember?! You told me I was reckless when I got poisoned! _WELL AREN'T YOU BEING RECKLESS FOR ATTACKING A FRIEND?! __**I SAVED YOUR LIFE BECAUSE YOU WERE MY FRIEND!**_"

"…S-…Sora…"

Sora was startled at first, but suddenly, the Fullmetal's body began to let out black mist, and at that instant, a red, purple, and black vortex encased Edward, keeping Sora from getting close!

"Damn you Crimson, what did you do to him?!"

Back outside, Edward was attacking Alphonse with black claws, trying to shredding Al into pieces! Alphonse's armor however wasn't getting scratched so easily, so the younger brother countered his brother by grabbing both his claws, pulling them down, and kneeing Edward in the face!

(BASH)

A stunned Edward gathered his senses and pounced on Alphonse! The two rolled down the Ice wall and onto the sidewalk, where Isaac was still trying to get up. Al then drew a Transmutation Circle and summoned stone hands to keep Isaac from moving! Al then turned to Ed and said, "Your appearance is starting to look like a Golem brother, but inside, I know you're still in there, I know deep down, you're Edward Elric, my older brother!"

"…Al-…ph-…-phonse…"

Al cheered, "That's it brother, fight it! Fight the darkness!" Ed started to hold his head in pain, and as he did, more mist was coming from him, black, red, and purple mist. He then said, "…Al…I made you…into this…I'm…sorry…" Al slowly approached his brother, placed his hands on his shoulders and said, "It's alright brother; we made the choice, remember? We wanted to see her, and we did everything we could to try, but we learned a lesson, didn't we?"

Ed then nodded and said, "…yes…we did. We can't…take life…for granted…we have to…live with…w-what…we…got…" Al then said, "And we have everything we need, our lives, our friends, the sun to shine and wake us, and the books that fill our minds with fantasy and truth…we have everything, even each other."

"…Al…(sniff)…Al…_**AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAALPHOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOONSSSSS!**_" Al stepped away when he saw his brother's chest bursting with light! The light shined over everything around them until there was nothing but light…

Moments later, the light vanished, and Alphonse saw his brother on the ground, unconscious. Al rushed to him and tried waking him, "Brother?! BROTHER, PLEASE! PLEASE WAKE UP! _OPEN YOUR EYES BROTHER; I'M BEGGING YOU, __**WAKE UP!**_"

Back inside Ed's heart, Sora found himself in an empty and dark area, filled with fog, covering everything from his sight.

(_**GRRRRRRRRRR**_)

Sora looked around and yelled, "Edward?! Answer me buddy!" Footsteps were heard in the dark, and Sora readied his Keyblade for the worst. Sora then said, "You're not going to run from me Ed, I'm going to bring you back to Al if it's the last thing I do."

(_HOWL_)

Sora turned around, trying to look for his mutated friend, then said, "…let's just hope this ISN'T the last thing I do…death isn't a fan of mine anyway-!"

(SLASH)

The back of Sora's jacket was instantly torn through! The Keybearer looked around for his friend, but the area was still dark. Suddenly, a glimmer came to Sora's eyes, two red, glowing balls of beastly intent. Sora then said, "_AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAND_ he's a dog." The creature then rushed towards Sora, who jumped out of the way and noticed the 'dog' was larger than he expected! Sora then said, "...OK, make that a big dog!"

(SLASH)

Sora was instantly attacked by the vicious creature's claws! The young assassin coughed out blood and fell to his knees, weakened by the tremendous power his friend-turned-Golem. "If I can only see him…maybe then, I might be able to stop the transformation…" Sora said to himself. He then heard something running towards him, and he even saw the red eyes coming closer! Sora then said, "…maybe a torch can help…" He then concentrated the Fire Spell onto his Keyblade again to summon the Fire Sword! He looked around, but nothing was in sight…

(_**RRRRRRRRAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAGH**_)

Sora quickly dodged the feral creature's claws and grabbed what seemed to be its back. He then proceeded to stabbing and slicing through the monster as it pranced around madly, trying to shake the Keyblade Master off! "I don't want to hurt you Ed, but this thing you've become isn't giving me many options! (stabs back) **FIRE!**" Sora then unleashed a blaze inside the creature making it howl away the black fog and reveal its canine-like form!

Sora noticed the blonde hair and metallic right arm and left leg while the rest was nothing more than purple, red, and black colored skin. The creature's jaws were massive and its wrists wore broken cuffs. It had a lion-like tail and on its back was a familiar insignia that matched the emblem on the Fullmetal Alchemist's coat! Just then, the Golem creature managed to shake Sora off and attack swiftly!

(SLASH-SLASH)

Forcing the Keybearer away, the creature sighed out more fog, but this fog didn't seem to hide its appearance. Sora looked up, and noticed the creature's form changing colors. And at that instant, the Golem charged at Sora, who swung his blade the instant the creature came near! But to Sora's surprise, his Keyblade didn't affect the creature! The weapon just passed through Ed, making Sora realize, "The fog, it must be creating mirages, I can only attack it when-!"

(SLICE)

Sora was instantly caught off-guard as Edward cut through the Keybearer! Sora stood back up, but he was running low on energy, he could barely stand after the monster's attacks. As Sora was struggling to keep himself up, he heard something…

"…three…holograms…wait…until…"

Edward spoke to Sora, giving him a clue as to how he could defeat the seemingly unbeatable Golem! Sora then said, "What I saw…it must have been a hologram…Edward, are you saying I have a chance?"

(_**RRRRAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAGH**_)

Edward was back to his feral self as he charged again! But Sora trusted his friend's advice and held his sword ready…

"…only three holograms…"

As Sora watched, the creature came right up to him and attacked, but the attack phased through the Keybearer without touching him!

"…I just need to wait…"

Another attack came at him, but then that one phased through him to!

"…wait for…"

And the instant the third one came at him-!

"_**-NUMBER THREE!**_"

Sora leapt through the illusion and slit the monster's throat!

The creature then gasped for air until it fell to the ground, unable to fight. Sora wiped the sweat off his forehead and turned towards Edward, whose Golem body started to deteriorate. And when the form vanished completely, all that was left was the original Edward, good old human Edward, resting on the floor. Sora came up to him and said, "Ed? Edward, can you hear me?" But to his shock, Ed wasn't responding…yet he was still breathing.

"…GRRR…**LOKI PULLED SMARTER PRANKS THAN YOU, **_**'TINY'!**_" Sora said as he kicked his friend like a soccer ball!

"_**WHAT'S-YOUR-DEAL?! YA-CALLING-ME-PUNY-BEAN-BRAINED-DOPEY-DWARF-BECAUS E-I-CAN'T-BE-SEEN! NOTHING-CLEVER, JUST-POKING-FUN-AT-MY-SIZE!**_"

"Hey, welcome back to the land of the living, you _**dick!**_" Sora said with an annoyed face. Ed replied, "What's your deal, you _**prick?!**_" Sora answered, "Crimson came in you, using your own anger to twist you into a Golem, and I had to bail you out, AGAIN!" Edward then said, "What do ya mean 'again'?! You're the one who needs help! Trusting strange chicks, throwing yourself at a poison vat, playing 'Superman' and entering the battlefield like a dumbass jock!"

"…What did you call me?!" Sora asked. Ed replied, "**…DUMB…STUPID…BABY-DROOLING…BIG-DONKEY-BUTT-ASSED…J OCK!**"

"**THAT'S SETTLED, I'M GONNA MAKE YOU SHORTER BY BUSTING MY KEYBLADE OVER YOUR MINI-MULLET AND SENDING YOU ON A TRIP TO THE DWARF WOODLANDS WITH A SIGN SAYING '**_**I'M A DWARF STUPID, LET ME IN**_**'!**"

"_OOOOOOOOOOH, 'SCAWY MISTA SOWA GONNA HUT ME!'_ **WELL YOU WON'T MIND ACCOMPANING ME TO THE DWARVES HUT AFTER I BREAK YOUR SCARECROW FEET OFF AND USE'EM TO PLAY 'WALKING STICK'!**"

The two heroes continued making threats until they heard Alphonse's voice, "Brother?! BROTHER, PLEASE! PLEASE WAKE UP! _OPEN YOUR EYES BROTHER; I'M BEGGING YOU, __**WAKE UP!**_"

Sora started to calm down and said, "…thanks for the help Ed, and-…welcome back." Ed replied, "Yeah, no problem. Look, I don't know how far you are from Central Command, but do you think you can meet us there? Isaac's trying to get away, and we could use the help." Sora nodded and smiled while replying, "You can count on me Ed, see ya later."

Sora and Edward then shook each other's hands, as they did; the Fullmetal's Station began to glow brightly. Ed smiled and said, "…Isaac's near Central HQ, get moving." Sora nodded, "I'll see you then." Ed then vanished, and in his place, there was a glittering Keyhole. Sora then said, "I guess this is my ride home." He then aimed his Keyblade at the Keyhole and sealed it with the beam of light!

(_**SCORCH**_)

Suddenly, Sora noticed a small amount of black fire curdle around his right arm!

"SORA, SORA WAKE UP!" Ross yelled. Sora awoke, surprised by what he saw. He then said, "…the Golem…did we beat-?" Block nodded, "Yeah, it's down for the count. So what happened? You went out like a light." Sora replied, "I…no, not right now." Sora then stood up from Ross's lap and headed off. Ross asked, "Where are you going?" Sora answered, "To Central Command, I have a feeling Edward's gonna need my help."

End of Chapter 109

* * *

**Next Chapter, the Elric Brothers and Sora face the Freezing Alchemist in the final battle...**

**Please Comment!**


	110. Chapter 110

**Last time, Sora and Alphonse were forced to fight an unlikely foe...one of their own!**

**Edward Elric, overtaken by his tragic memories and Crimson's manipulation of his heart, lashed out at his brother while Sora fought him in his heart to try and free him! Alphonse fought Edward not only with his bare hands, but words of encouragement, telling him that he doesn't have to submit to his sins of the past. Enlightened by Al's words, Edward's heart released a force of light that seemingly restored him to normal. However, the Fullmetal was in a comotose state, indicating that the worst is yet to come...**

**Inside Edward's heart, Sora battled a warped Edward, who became a demonic wolf-like Golem whose red eyes gleamed for the blood of the Keyblade Master! The two fought one another in a battle of darkness and destruction, but through the claws and teeth, Sora plunged his Avenger into Edward, freeing him from his inevitable transformation!**

**After saving his friend, Sora awoke with Ross and Block by his side. But Sora wasn't ready to lie down and relax just yet, he still had to meet up with Edward and Alphonse in the Final Battle with Isaac McDougal, the Freezing Alchemist...**

**Warning: Kingdom Hearts and Fullmetal Alchemist are both licensed by Square-Enix. The secondary licenses for both franchises are Disney (Kingdom Hearts), Aniplex, Bones Inc., and Funimation (Fullmetal Alchemist). **

**PS: There will be spoilers.**

* * *

Fullmetal Kingdom: The Fanfic

Chapter 110: Conclusion

Edward managed to open his eyes and see Al, cradling him in his arms. Ed asked, "…so, how's the fort holding up?" Al hugged Edward tightly, happily saying, "You're back brother, you came back!" Ed pushed Al off and said, "Cut that out Al! Where's Isaac?" Al replied, "He's walking away."

Ed then noticed Isaac as he twitched at the notice of Ed's eyes.

"Where do you think you're going? The newest sensation on Ice is about to begin. It's called '_**Bastard and the Beatings**_'!" Ed then clapped his hands and brought out a spear to throw and stop Isaac in his tracks! As the Freezer fell to the ground, Ed said, "Looks like you're all dried up, 'Frosty'. No water, no weapon, no back-up plan, face it 'Snowman', you're under arrest!"

Isaac snickered and said, "(snicker) You're still forgetting something pipsqueak, I have all the water I need, to be precise, _**70% OF MY BODY!**_"

Suddenly, a red, icy thorn shot from Isaac's arm and pierced Edward in the chest!

Meanwhile, Sora was rushing to the Elrics, hoping to assist in any way against the Freezer! As he ran, Maria Ross and Denny Block pursued him. Ross yelled, "STOP RUNNING, you'll only bleed faster that way!" Sora ignored her and continued onwards. Block then caught up with Sora and said, "Please Sora, we're only trying to help-!"

Sora then said, "Sorry officer, but I have a job to do, and that's protect the Elrics. I can't just wait for Isaac to escape again, not THIS time!"

And at THAT instant, Sora, Ross, and Block arrived to find Al by Ed's side! "EDWARD!" Sora ran to him and then saw the red spike in his friend's chest! Ed then said, "Don't worry, I'm fine, now let's finish this!" Ed then tore out the red spike and transmuted his arm-blade.

Edward, Sora, and Alphonse stood together against the Freezer, ready to fight the Freezing Alchemist…

"_**WHY CAN'T YOU FOOLS UNDERSTAND?! I'M TRYING…TO SAVE THIS COUNTRY!**_"

Isaac's two rings began to glow brightly, and out of his hands, came ice-blood-swords! The Freezer then charged at the trio, eager to end the boys' interfering once and for all!

Isaac swung violently at the teens, attempting to kill them quickly! As he sliced he yelled, "You're just children, being used by monsters! They won't stop with the massacre of the Ishbalins, they'll kill us all! I HAD to betray the military, I HAD to fight back, and I HAD no desire to die until those freaks are _**wiped off the face of this planet!**_"

As the heroes fought Isaac, Envy and Kairi were observing them from on top of a building…

"…the town of Lior has been handled tightly, just a harmless spot in the sand now. There's no one left who knows anything useful." Envy reported. Kairi then said, "…good work Envy, glad to have you back in our midst." Envy smiled, "You don't seem too thrilled about it, 'princess'-." Kairi barked, "Don't call me that, it's creepy!"

Envy then said, "What's the matter? Would you prefer it if 'spiky' down there called you that? That worm's nothing special from where I'm standing, but then again, none of them are. It's rather funny to see humans crawl over each other in a mad struggle for dominance, isn't it?" Kairi replied, "Right, whatever. Lust wanted us to handle the Freezer, you know? So if you're done talking about weaklings, can we just-?!"

Envy raised his arm in Kairi's way and said, "Now don't get your puberty in a bind, 'sister'. Let the 'used' play the part and cream this cupcake." Kairi argued, "Yeah, great idea, except for the part where he's trying to freeze over Central!" Envy smiled and said, "Babe, just how stupid are you? Did you ignore the situation completely? Their pets and the military have it all covered, the city is safe, so quit pretending to care and wait for it all to come crumbling over the traitor's head."

Kairi sighed, "Whatever, 'cross-dresser'. Just keep in mind, these two, the Elric Brothers; they might have clues to where Marcoh's findings are. Their hopes of finding that stupid rock are almost in their grasp, so if we keep our heads in the game, then they'll be exactly who we need to grant our wishes." Envy laughed, "You've been spending too much time with Lust now and it's beginning to piss me off. Your dream is to be (voice change) with me…right?"

Kairi turned towards Envy, who took the form of Sora, and slapped him hard!

(SMACK)

"(laughing maniacally) Sorry Kairi, I had no idea what kind of girl you were! Ew, I knew you were dirty, but who would've thought you'd be _**downright disgusting!**_"

"**THAT'S ENOUGH ENVY!**"

Envy grabbed Kairi's wrist and said, "Now-now, we're not supposed to be seen or heard, remember?" Kairi gritted her teeth and said, "_…CHANGE…BACK…__**NOW!**_" Envy smiled and changed back, "Fine, I had my fun anyway."

Envy crossed his arms and said, "It really doesn't matter to me, 'princess'. You bitches can have your fun, just as long as I can have mine. However, if things get too hectic, and they all figure things out too soon, we might have to make like a public execution and kill them all."

"…I know that." Kairi said in a miserable tone.

(SLASH)

Sora avoided Isaac's blade and dodged the second one, but he tripped and was at the mercy of the Freezer! Alphonse attempted to grab Isaac's wrists from behind, but the Freezer's strength surprised him and flung him over! Isaac then pointed his blade at the blood seal and said, "Once I shatter that seal, I won't need to worry about any metal ghosts for a LONG time!" Sora then noticed Al's helmet head nearby and threw it to Al, "I think you dropped this!" The helmet smacked Isaac in the face and gave Al the opportunity to kick him away!

The younger brother placed the helmet head back on and charged alongside Ed and Sora to finish Isaac!

Alphonse grabbed Isaac's left hand, crushed his sword, and bats him away with the back of his wrist!

Sora then engaged in a sword fight with Isaac, but surprised him with a mighty swing that shattered his last sword! He then kicked the Freezing Alchemist back!

Finally Edward unleashed a fistful of attacks at Isaac, who tried to match Ed's skill in hand-to-hand combat! However, Edward was quick to counter and with his right hook-!

_**(BA-KOW)**_

-he sent the Freezing Alchemist flying until he fell to the ground, defeated and exhausted from the battle!

Isaac looked up and saw Sora, Edward and Alphonse standing triumphantly over their foe. But just before the heroes could brag, more Ice walls were approaching Central HQ!

Isaac started to laugh and walk away as the heroes watched the walls get closer…

Elsewhere, Donald, Goofy, and Armstrong located the last three Transmutation Circles. Armstrong then said, "To save Central Command, we need to combine our attacks and destroy this Ice completely!"

"**LET THE COURT MAGICIAN GET THE BALL ROLLING WITH AN EARTHQUAKE!**" Donald said as he used magic to destroy the underbelly of the Circle! Goofy then threw a bunch of lit sticks of dynamite and blew through the Ice, giving him a chance to break through the remains of the Ice wall and annihilate the second Circle! Finally, Armstrong gathered all the strength in his alchemy and destroyed the Ice wall and the third Circle instantly!

(**CRAK-A-THOOM**)

Back near Central HQ, everyone there heard the explosion, making Al wonder, "The Ice…do you think they did it?" Sora answered, "Donald, Goofy, and the major…they destroyed all the Transmutation Circles that Isaac spread through the city!" Ed then said, "Yeah guys, it's official, we've saved the entire city."

The three heroes then celebrated by performing an instant High Five! Suddenly, Ross yelled, "GUYS, ISAAC'S GETTING AWAY!" The group noticed the small drops of blood leading away from the base. Sora then asked, "Do you officers have cuffs specially made for alchemists?" Block replied, "…these right here?" Ross patted Block on the shoulder and said, "Those'll do, now let's arrest the Freezer!"

In the alleyways of the city, Isaac was fleeing from the heroes. As he fled, he felt a cold chill through the alleyway, like all the color in life had disappeared and was replaced by an unsettling silence…

"Th-they won't find me…I escaped once, I can-(gasp)!"

Isaac was surprised by the image of a person in his way. That person started walking towards him, without saying a word. Isaac then asked, "Who are you?! Do you know who I am?! Get lost, or do you want to end up on the menu?!" The figure was still silent…

"COCKY BASTARD, I TOLD YOU TO-huh?"

A flicker of light came around, helping Isaac see who was walking towards him…

"…heh-heh-heh-heh-_**AH-HA-HA-HA-HA-HA-HA-HA!**_ Finally, Fuhrer Bradley himself!"

Bradley stopped as the Freezer used his blood to create a sharp spear! Isaac grinned and laughed as he charged at the fuhrer, ready to finally kill his target!

…

Minutes later, Ed, Sora, Al, Ross and Block rushed through the alleyways, following the small drops of blood to catch Isaac. As they ran, Ed asked, "Just wondering Sora, but was I becoming a Golem earlier?" Sora nodded, "Yeah, Crimson had the idea of using your negative feelings as a starting point to change you into his personal 'lapdog'! But honestly Ed, I have no idea how I got into your brain in the first place." Ed corrected him, "It didn't feel like a place where my mind would belong…places where you see yourself, the people you're connected with, and the home you lived in…call me crazy, but it seemed to be a place representing **me**, and everything I held close to me, even my brother."

Al then thought of a theory, "Well, what if that was your heart? Call it a theory, but I believe that inside everybody, there must be an illusional representation of our identities." Sora added, "You might be right Al. Sometimes, when I'm having nightmares, or when I'm unconscious, I always found myself in a similar place. It had images of people I knew, not all of them, but still, people close to me. It also had the beach from Destiny Islands, and I saw multiple crowns, similar to the crown emblem on my chain necklace." Ed laughed, "You were a necklace?! PFFF, _SISSY!_" Sora yelled, "**SH-SHUT UP ED, THIS WAS IMPORTANT TO ME!**"

Sora shook off his anger and said, "Anyway, it wasn't just my heart…strange as it seems, I think I was in someone else's heart. I saw other stained-glass floors, where different people came to Destiny Islands, wielded Keyblades, and I don't recognize them at all! Yet I still…"

Ed pats his friend on the back and said, "Don't let it give you a headache, we've still got a criminal to chase." Sora nodded, "R-right!"

The group then went into the next alleyway and stopped immediately after seeing the unthinkable…

Isaac's body was on the ground, covered in a cloth to avoid witnessing the damage to the corpse. Officers were gathered around the body, as was the fuhrer, who just noticed the Elrics and the others.

Bradley smiled and said, "I believe congratulations are in order Fullmetal. If Mustang was around, I'm sure he'd give you the casual speech, but for now, you'll be hearing it from me. Edward Elric, Sora Hughes, Alphonse Elric, Maria Ross and Denny Block, you've done a good job. I thank you for your assistance in stopping this mad man, just as I thanked Donald Duck, Goofy, and Alex Louis Armstrong."

Sora then asked, "Sir, does that mean that they-?" Bradley nodded, "Correct, those boys stopped the Ice walls. Central City is safe, as are its occupants. All of Amestris owes you all an endless amount of thanks this day. To be honest, I thought at least one of you would get him, to think that I would be the one to catch him. If anything, such a thrilling event like this would be quite the story for my son to hear."

Sora, Ross, and Block saluted the fuhrer, "**THANK YOU SIR!**" Ross was a bit confused by Sora's salute to the fuhrer, so she decided to ask, "Sir, earlier, I found this young man near one of the Ice wall marks and I just had to know, is he really-?"

"-a bodyguard sent from Y. O. U. T. H. to protect Edward Elric? You're absolutely right Lieutenant." Bradley said.

Bradley then said, "This night's been full of excitement, hasn't it? Why don't you all get some rest for tomorrow and resume your duties on the next morning?" Sora answered, "Sir, thank you for your generosity, Sir!" Ed sighed and pulled Sora with him, "Alright, come on 'Mr. Fan-Boy', we don't need to smell what 'dead-guy' smells like."

As the group left, Bradley looked down on the two rings with Red Stones inside them…

He slowly raised his boot…

(_**CRUSH**_)

End of Chapter 110 and the Liberation Arc

* * *

**This is it...next week...is the last chapter...**

**Please Comment!**


	111. End of Disc 1

**Last time, Edward, Sora and Alphonse opposed the Freezing Alchemist in a gruesome battle while Armstrong assisted Donald and Goofy with eliminating the Transmutation Circles which controlled the overgrowing Ice Wall, and as the dust cleared, our heroes won the battle...**

**But the battered Isaac managed to escape the trio via the alleyways of Central!**

**As the Elrics and their bodyguard pursued the former State Alchemist, they were surprised to find him dead, next to the fuhrer, Kin Bradley, who announced that he was proud of Sora and the Elrics for their work in saving the city. He even congratulated Ross and Block, the two officers that aided them, for their heroic actions. As the group were dismissed by their commander, Bradley took the time to secretly destroy the Red Stones...**

**Warning: Kingdom Hearts and Fullmetal Alchemist are both licensed by Square-Enix. The secondary licenses for both franchises are Disney (Kingdom Hearts), Aniplex, Bones Inc., and Funimation (Fullmetal Alchemist). **

**PS: There will be spoilers.**

* * *

Fullmetal Kingdom: The Fanfic

End of Disc 1

(BASH)

In the Golem King's castle, Crimson forced the front doors open and was greeted by the Phantom Blott, who immediately said, "Welcome home my lord. Have you finished with your business already?" Crimson replied, "He was an open door, 'Blotty'! Edward was mine until the Keybearer interfered!" The Phantom Blott shook his head and said, "That boy seems to have a knack for wedging a quark in our plans, doesn't he my lord?" Crimson nodded, "Fortunately, I've managed to 'wedge' something inside his innocent little soul…"

Crimson then headed for the basement door and opened it. As he walked through the hallway, he asked, "But enough about the boy, tell me, have they been fed?" The Blott replied, "Of course my liege, I know how important they are to you, and the last thing I would do on my list would be to anger you." Crimson pulled out a set of keys and picked one out to unlock the next door, which led to a damper, darker hallway. As they walked, Crimson asked, "So, anything to report?" The Phantom Blott replied, "Our old friends from the Eastern Liberation have returned to our side. They were hopeless without the Freezing Alchemist and they needed someone to lead them against the military in Amestris, and you fit the bill as a replacement."

"That's bitchin' Blotty, bitchin'." Crimson said as he picked another key to open the next door. The two villains were then walking through a bridge, where they saw to their left, an enormous pile of Philosopher Stones! Crimson then said, "Our 'bling' has no 'bluff', does it? A hundred years of waiting and planning, and we FINALLY have enough Philosopher Stones to rid the world of Amestris and the devil who resides within." The Blott nodded, "Indeed, your army can transcend their limits with just one stone in their pocket."

"…hold on Blott, I'm not using this for my army." Crimson said.

The Phantom Blott was confused, so Crimson explained, "Give Man the power of God, and they crumble by the masses. No my friend, these stones will be used for a grander scheme. After all, limitless power comes once in every lifetime, to squander it away for mortals is just-…well; it's just so…careless! I want things to be perfect, no betrayals from power's corrupting grasp, no imbecilic demands that surpass humanity's imagination! I want this to be balanced, strategic, and most important of all; I want this power to END it all without any screw-ups!"

"And that's why you need the Keyblade?" The Phantom Blott asked. Crimson replied, "Yes, the original, beautiful, and Godlike Keyblade. The Keyblade we possess is merely a fabrication, a vessel for an attempt at ultimate power, but the real one, its power to proceed into other territories is magnificent! However, like the Stone, it's unpredictable in the hands of mere mortals, so when the Keyblade Master is at my beckoning, I'll have him open the doorway to Truth. Once that door is opened, the sacrifice will be made…TEN THOUSAND PHILOSOPHER STONES IN EXCHANGE FOR THE ULTIMATE TRUMP CARD, THE ULTIMATE DEMOLISHER! _YEAH BABY, WE'RE TALKING ABOUT DESTRUCTION ON A GLOBAL SCALE! _**MY HEEL PLUS THEIR LIVES EQUAL **_**MASS GENOCIDE OF THE HOMUNCULUS AND THEIR FOLLOWERS**_ (maniacal laugh)_**! AND THEY WILL BE DAMNED WITH NO ONE TO STOP ME **_(maniacal laugh)_**!**_"

"Speaking of the damned…" The Phantom Blott said as he gazed to the door to their right…

Crimson opened it, revealing an endless cavern of cages and cells with huffing, growling roaring, and laughter! Claws reached out for them, eyes maddened with hunger and carnivorous pleasure.

Crimson then asked, "You didn't feed them, did you?" The Blott answered, "Well…" Crimson sighed and walked through the prison, examining the cells around him. He then came up to one cell and said, "And how are you today? Sorry we couldn't feed you a healthy meal, but you understand, right? The less you're fed, the likely you are to bite the nearest normal life form. We need more of you little one, and the more you bite, the more minions I have."

(_**RRRRRAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAGH**_)

The creature reached for Crimson, but he stepped away and said, "Oooooh, eager to get out, are we? Blott, fed these things their muck, I want Plan-B prepped and hungry when Plan-A fails!" The Phantom Blott then asked, "Would Plan-A happen to be the 'Ultimate Transmutation'?" Crimson answered, "THAT…is a failsafe plan, just in case all else fails. Plan-A will be a typical plan; hopefully, the military's bitches won't interfere. Oh wait, _**they can't!**_ After all, the 7 Purest Hearts aren't in Amestris…are they, your majesty?"

(_**RRRRRAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAARRRRRRRRRRGH**_)

Back in Central City, Sora had just left the train and met with the Elrics who waited for him at the station…

"Two days since we saved the city and on the next day, you're going off alone without us? Where did you go anyway?" Edward asked. Sora answered, "I though dad told you! I went to Destiny Islands to drop Tidus, Cecil, and Kain off at Y. O. U. T. H. Edge and the others could use the help. Rebuilding a home isn't as easy as thinking up reasons to tick you off. Besides, this was something I had to do, I'm still looking Ed, and the more clues I get, the closer I am to reuniting my family."

Al then said, "But I thought the Hughes' were your family." Sora explained, "They are, but I'll always think of the orphanage as another home Al. I can't just forget about my friends, they're the only part of my past I have left." Ed then said, "Well at least you're done, so let's investigate that library!"

"I can't."

The Elrics were surprised by the Keybearer's words, so Sora explained, "Another thing dad forgot to mention was that Aeris gave Marcoh a letter intended for me. It said they were going to North City to try and return home to Radiant Garden. Aeris said she would return…but I haven't seen her since the Guard Armor attacked and I met Donald and Goofy the first time. Something's happened to them, and I have to find out what!" Ed then said, "OK, your friends are missing, we get it. But here's the question of the day; where's the letter?"

Sora reluctantly pulled out the letter and gave it to Edward, who read through it slowly…

Ed then asked, "…you have a choice, and you made it, didn't you?" Sora nodded, forcing Ed to ask, "Then answer this, who's gonna protect us while we look for the Stone?" Al then said, "Don't forget Scar, he has it out for all State Alchemists!" Sora explained, "Relax guys, I'm still part of the team! By the time I get back, you'll hardly realize I was gone. You'll still have bodyguards to look after you, and trust me when I say this; they're as dependable as me. Huh? H-hey, here they come now!"

The Elrics turned around and saw who Sora was waving at, Ross and Block, the same soldiers who aided them against the Opposite Armor and the Eastern Liberation's attack. As they arrived before the trio, Block said, "These kids…they're faster…than we thought!"

Sora introduced the officers, "Ed, Al, these two will take over for me until I get back. Guys, why not say hello?" Ross then said, "Are you REALLY telling us what to do Sora?" Sora kept his mouth shut as Ross saluted the Elrics and said, "As he said boys, we'll be your temporary bodyguards. I'm Lieutenant Maria Ross." Block then saluted and said, "And I'm Sergeant Denny Block, reporting for duty sir!"

"_It's an honor to meet you Fullmetal Alchemist, Edward Elric sir!_" They both said to Al…

Alphonse and Sora pointed to Ed, who said, "Damn it, it's always the same! Alphonse is 'full-metal' and I'm 'half-metal'! Bradley probably planned all this when he gave me that stupid name!" Block then said, "W-wait, you mean this little guy's the-?"

"_**HEEEEEEEEEH?**_"

"_S-S-SORRY ABOUT THAT SIR!_" Block said as he swallowed his pride. Sora then said, "I know, I know Block. He's not what you thought. More 'full' and more 'metal', that's what they hear (laughing)!" Ed snapped, "**AW SHUT UP!** Hmph, whatever, look for your kidnappers and get back here, we can't travel with the deadweight forever!" Sora then said, "Come on Ed, don't treat them like that, they're reliable in a pinch, trust me."

"HEY SORA, WAIT FOR US!"

Donald and Goofy arrived at the train station, where Sora asked, "Donald, Goofy, what are you two doing here? I'm going alone on this one!"

"Sorry Sora, but you aren't allowed to go on your own."

The group then saw Maes Hughes arrive with Elicia holding his hand. Sora, Donald, Goofy, Ross and Block saluted the Lieutenant Colonel as he said, "Don't forget, we bought you as a bodyguard for the Elrics, abandoning a job is something the military takes offense towards." Sora tried to explain, but Hughes interrupted, "We know you're trustworthy kiddo, we just don't want you getting killed out there. You are considered a member of the military after all, and the fact that it's a father's responsibility to keep his children safe before letting them out into the world."

Sora then realized, "These two are coming with me because you ordered them to?" Hughes nodded, "You're not a solo agent Sora, you're my responsibility, and the Elrics kinda own you, so leaving them for about three days without our permission is considered an act of treason. Son, I know you care about these people, but remember…you're my son now, and honestly, I want it to stay that way. I want you to grow up with a family and friends who care for you. I am glad you never took a life, but Y. O. U. T. H. is and will always be a part of you; I just want to keep you from-."

"Dad…I want to stay that way to." Sora said to his adopted father. Sora then looked at Donald and Goofy and said, "Why don't you guys get seated inside? I'll be in later." Goofy nodded and said, "OK, we'll be waiting."

As the Genomes got in, Sora shook Block's hand and said, "Thanks for your help earlier, Block." Block blushed, "Naw, it was the Lieutenant who did all the work." Sora and Ross neglected to shake hands, so they saluted one another instead. Sora then said, "Those two are trouble, keep them safe." Maria smiled and said, "Understood, come back as soon as you can." Sora then shook Al's hand and said, "You know, I never thanked you for that 'faith' in Lior." Al replied, "And you'll never have to. Take care Sora." Sora smiled and gave Al a hard hug; embarrassed, Al simply patted Sora on the head.

Sora then bowed to Elicia, "Keep daddy safe, will ya?" Elicia patted Sora's spiky head and replied, "Mm-hmm, roger." Sora blushed and thought, _Aww, so cute-WAIT, SHUT UP SORA, YOU'RE NOT HUGHES!_ Sora then offered a hand shake to Hughes, who instead hugged his boy and said, "Gracia's gonna miss having you cook for her!" Sora then asked, "Wait, I almost forgot, how are Vivi and Eiko?" Hughes answered, "They're great, it's like we've adopted two more members of the family. Eiko's learning how to cook; she said it was for her 'knight' for some reason. And Vivi, he's handling most of the chores to help Gracia. He takes after you, you know?" Sora then said, "Vivi's eager to help when we need him, huh? Maybe I could train him someday…but for now-." Hughes interrupted, "I know, I know. Take care, son."

Sora then came up to Ed, whom he said, "So Ed, I'll see you in two days. By then, we'll probably be searching for the Stone again." Ed was a bit confused, "Tch, by the time you get back, the library will already be done with. And as soon as we find the clues to making the Stone, we'll be all set to restore our bodies." Sora then said, "…Edward, check the library, there's something you need to see." Ed asked, "And what's that?"

"The remains…there might be a book left to read, but I doubt it's the one Marcoh was keeping for you."

"…R-…remains? _**REMAAAAAAAAAAAAAAIIIIIIIIIIIIINNNSSS?!**_"

Ed rushed away from the train station, followed shortly by Alphonse, who waved, "See you later Sora!" As Al left, Block then yelled, "W-WAIT, I HAVE A CAR WE COULD USE!" Ross sighed as her partner went after them. She then said, "Don't worry about the boys Sora, we'll keep them safe." Maria then went after them, leaving Sora and the Hughes' Family.

Minutes later, Sora waved to his adopted family from the train. Afterwords, the Keybearer sat back down in his seat. In the seat before him, he saw Donald and Goofy, sleeping next to one another. The two snored and dreamed about their home country, Fantasia. As they dreamed, Sora looked out his window and thought to himself, _Sorry Edward, I know I'm being reckless, but I can't let the people I care fore end up in jeopardy. Rose, the Y. O. U. T. H. orphans, the civilians of Lior, Leon, Aeris, Yuffie and Rin, I have to save them. Not only that, but I have to watch out for these things Isaac called '__**Homunculi**__'. Crimson hinted Kairi to be one of them, but for now, there's no proof of that. For all I know, those people probably went to the same tattoo artist. I'll have to wait until I meet the real deal up close and personal-._

(_**SCORCH**_)

Suddenly, Sora's hand caught on fire, but the fire wasn't any ordinary fire, it was black fire! Sora tried beating the fire away with a pillow while blowing it away, and after the fire was gone, Sora's hand was entirely replaced with a black arm with colorful veins pumping through it, and Sora's fingers were now replaced with sharp claws. The claw then started to reach out to Donald and Goofy until Sora grabbed the claw and pulled it away! Sora looked at his friends then at his arm…which changed back to normal!

"What…what just happened to me?!" Sora asked as he looked at his hand. After he carefully examined the arm, he sighed in relief and said, "These trips across the country are starting to get to me. Maybe a little nap will settle me down."

"Care for a pillow, sir?" Two stewardesses came up to Sora, and since one of them asked, Sora answered, "Y-yes, thank you mam." The first stewardess smiled and gave him a comfy, soft white pillow. Sora then thanked her, but before he could close rest his head, the second one asked, "Care for some tea while you wait?" Sora nodded, "Mmm-hmm, thanks!"

(_CRASH_)

The first one 'accidentally' swatted the glass of tea from her assistant's hands! The first stewardess then bowed and said, "S-SORRY, I loved the tea and wanted to try some before you, but wouldn't you know it, I got careless and slapped it out of his hands!" The second stewardess then said, "If you want to see 'careless' why don't you try reaching out the train for a bit of snow, the result's will sweep you off your feet." Sora then said, "It's alright, I wasn't thirsty anyway. But thank you both for the pillow."

The stewardesses walked away, and as Sora was beginning to rest, the second stewardess asked, "What the Hell did you stop me for?! He's a liability, not a love interest! You should've let me poison the bastard, so why-?!" The first stewardess threw off her hat, revealing herself as Kairi and answered, "Shut it Envy, he's still in the dark, and until he's in the light, we back off, _**GOT IT?!**_" Envy replied, "…no, I'm afraid you'll have to make it 'loud and clear' for us ALL to hear." Kairi realized Envy wanted her to be heard by Sora, so she backed off and the two headed for the next car…

(_**THWACK**_)

Envy however caught her by surprise by slapping her and pushing her against the wall! He then said, "Ever since Lust took you in, you've been under MY sight for what seems to be a lifetime. And I've seen you wine and wine for that brat to be alright and you know what? **IT SICKENS ME!** You've been given new life, and if THAT'S not good enough for you, maybe being strangled alongside your dear sweet childhood friend will make it all better (licks Kairi's cheek). Now 'get this', when I say 'kill him', you fill that pinecone head of his until I hear rattling coming from it when I kick it!"

(SLAP)

"Cry for me…"

(SLAP)

"_**CRY YOU BRAT, CRYYYYYYYYYY!**_"

Kairi couldn't overpower her 'partner', she was sick to death of Envy's cruel words and his threat against Sora, but she cried anyway, she cried to keep Envy from doing anything more. Envy smiled and said, "There, feel better now, knowing that true love's nothing to believe in? He's never going to love a FREAK like you, especially since you've neglected to tell him the truth! From now on, everything you do or say will be ordered and approved by Father, by Mother, and by us…GOT IT?"

Kairi slowly nodded, and so Envy pushed her away and headed out. Kairi wiped her tears off and followed…until she felt enraged…and ran the other way!

Kairi came back to the other car, where Sora was sleeping. Kairi sat down next to him, and cried as she held his hand…

Just then, Goofy awoke, and noticed Kairi wearing the stewardess outfit. With his eyes still foggy from waking up, he looked at Kairi and asked, "…How many cups o' sugar does it take to get to the moon?"

"U-uh…about 4." Kairi answered. Goofy nodded, but suddenly, he recognized her and said, "Y-Y-Y-You're the lady who pointed a-!" Kairi then said, "C-calm down, will you?! I've made up with Sora days ago! I'm a friend again." Goofy wondered, "Whaddya mean by 'again'? Did you two used to know each other?" Kairi replied, "Well yes-…in fact, there's something I need to tell you…and the duck if he wakes up." Goofy smiled and said, "Aw, don't worry mam, Donald's easy to wake. (ahem) Donald I got's me some bean puddin' over here if ya want any-."

"_**NEEEEEEEAAAAAOOOOOOOOOOOOO-!**_"

Goofy instantly grabs Donald's beak and said, "Shush! Sora's asleep!" Donald pushed Goofy's hands off and said, "Alright, so who's the girl." Kairi replied, "(giggle) it's Kairi, and I'm pleased to meet you."

Elsewhere, the hooded figure that helped Sora and Edward was walking through a baron wasteland, searching for something…just then, he noticed something startling…

…he noticed an enormous crater!

"There it is…the Atomos Crater! Here, lives are toyed with, and lives are lost, all in pursuit of a madman's quest for knowledge. And here, Rose and her people will suffer unless I get them out!" The hooded figure threw off his hood, and was revealed to be Riku, who pulled out a strange and extraordinary Keyblade that appeared to be made of heavenly angels and hellish demons! Riku then said to himself, "Hang in there Rose, **dawn is coming…**"

End of Disc 1

* * *

**To those who have been reading since the first chapter, CONGRATULATIONS! I'm glad I did this in the first place, and I'm glad I got this far!**

**And for the new readers, I hope you enjoyed what I've done so far for Fullmetal Kingdom!**

**Before you give your opinion on the chapter and the story (thus far), I'd like to know more about what you thought of Fullmetal Kingdom's Disc 1. The mistakes, the best moments, everything. To make it fun, I've added some questions to this chapter, please answer them all, thanks!**

_**1. How was the combination of Kingdom Hearts and Fullmetal Alchemist?**_

_**2. What was your thought on Crimson (the new guy)?**_

_**3. What do you think of a Fullmetal Kingdom Spin-off series where the heroes (and villains) explore different Disney Worlds?**_

_**4. What characters from either the Kingdom Hearts or Fullmetal Alchemist franchise have yet to appear that you'd like to see?**_

_**5. There have been a few misspelled words in the reboot, other than that; would you have changed anything else?**_

_**6. What was your favorite chapter?**_

_**7. What was your favorite character (whether Disney, Final Fantasy, KH, FMA or others)?**_

_**8. What was your favorite story Arc?**_

_**9. I'm not sure yet, but I'm thinking of adding one or two guest characters from a few of Square-Enix's manga books (Soul Eater, Star Ocean, Bamboo Blade, A Certain Magical Index and others) into Fullmetal Kingdom and it's Spin-Offs. Were there any characters you'd like to see?**_

_**10. Tired of the series?**_

_**11. What Disney movie/worlds are you hoping to see in FMK?**_

_**12. Disc 2?**_

**If you 'want' Disc 2, then you may need to wait until around Next Year...**

**Thanks for reading! :D**


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